Spyro: Hoard of Fangirls
by Flapjaw
Summary: After countless victories, with immense wealth and great power, Spyro begins to cultivate his love life in the complicated society of dragons at his age. He speaks for the fairies, parlays with gangs, and has nightmares of what he's faced, and what may return, but he can take solace in one thing: he's pretty good in the nest, or so everyone says on Realmbridge.
1. Prologue: Concerning Dragons

**Many thanks to Derik Harris for supporting this project through that patron place. You know the one. Cover art commission from the wonderful Tamplior.**

Written in the month of May, Year 2215 A.E.

Dragons are truly fascinating creatures, capable of wielding magic unseen anywhere else in the universe, and they live far longer than any other known sentient species. There hasn't been a moment in mole history without dragons, and the same could be said for every civilization I have encountered. All of us are awestruck and curious, asking questions, and science is all about those kinds of questions, as well as their answers. I am the first mole to live amongst dragons for a half-decade at a time within the past five hundred years, which puts me in a unique position to provide answers. Though my presence here has gone mostly unnoticed by these long-lived giants, my stay barely an eye-blink in their minds, it is a lot of time to me, and I have not been idle. Certainly, there are exceptions to the rule, and these are even more fascinating than their more traditional kin. Before we dive in, I must admit that I have a personal connection to one dragon in particular, and I will show some bias in his favor. He saved my life and my entire realm, the former many times, and it is simply impossible for me to think objectively where he is concerned. I know he's going to read this so -

Thank you, Spyro. For everything.

Firstly we should start at the beginning: dragon eggs. More specifically, how one gets to having dragon eggs, and their effects on the world around them. It should come as no surprise that dragons have a very long and particular fertility cycle, considering they can grow to be well over 100,000 years old. Some believe the outlandish tale that Fairies bring the eggs from the Faewild during the Year of the Dragon due to some cosmic alignment. It is a children's tale here in the Dragon Realms, and nothing more. Dragons do have a close relationship with fairies, but they are completely separate civilizations and handle their own reproduction independently. In fact, the relationship between dragon eggs and the zodiac is reversed, as the Year of the Dragon was set by the dominant dragon clan of the time long before the other zodiac animals were filled in by other species, and that dragons share the wheel of cosmic cycles with mere animals irritates them to no end. It simply takes twelve years for the oldest of the female dragons, known as dragonesses, to become fertile enough to carry a clutch of one, two, or three eggs. Thus, many more eggs are laid in the Year of the Dragon than in any other, since so many dragonesses were fertile in the previous year. Many dragons are laid and hatched at other times, since dragonesses younger than 10,000 years and older than 2,000 can become fertile more often, their cycles between three and ten years 90% of the time. Dragons younger than 2,000 years cannot breed, but this does not imply sexual inactivity.

As for the eggs themselves they must be nurtured for eleven months before they will hatch, give or take one month. Throughout this time the eggs radiate life magic into the world around them, stimulating the environment and powering portal roots throughout the land. The portals which most of us take for granted actually grow into existence over time, and the dragon eggs speed up this process. Partially intangible plants form the portals, and adult dragons or peoples advised by them construct gates from various materials wherever the portals appear to provide some protection from dark magic. If dark magic seeps into the earth itself then the portals can weaken to the point of being unusable, as was discovered during Spyro's campaign against Red, a separate matter that deserves its own document. Furthermore, the sustenance that dragon eggs provide to these portal plants is essential to their function, and they will fizzle out in lands dragons no longer occupy unless a substitute power source exists. While hatched dragons produce less and less of the needed ambient life magic as they grow older, ceasing to do so completely by the age of 20 years, some dragons learn how to harness this energy and direct it outward intentionally, healing the land when it is in dire need.

One great mystery about the portals is what exactly it is that happens when they grow. Some believe that the worlds they lead to already existed, and simply could not be accessed without the portals, but it is possible that life magic is literally birthing new worlds. I speculate that both are true, depending on the realm one occupies. For instance, in Avalar portals form over thousands of years and in pairs without the aid of dragon eggs to speed up the process, and civilizations have usually formed in these worlds in isolation before becoming connected to the rest of the realm. Meanwhile, here in the Dragon Realms, portals often form on their own, leading to places with only plant life or a few dangerous beasts, and these worlds have a very primordial character. Gravity and atmospheric conditions vary in these untouched places, and the portals to them often form in mere centuries. It is possible that the worlds form as the roots do, and are then accessible when the full portal plants have grown. The data enclosed with this document shows the difference in mana signatures for portals of different realms. Interestingly, dragon eggs are capable of powering portals from all known realms, as are Avalarian orbs.

Beyond the eggs we have the young, particularly those less than a century old, colloquially known as zeroes. They have a difficult time relating to their much older parents, and have a lot of growing to do before they integrate into dragon society fully, so they find other ways to spend their time. Microcultures have formed in groups of zeroes and gatherings of others below the age of 2,000 years throughout history, and the forms of these cultures vary by location and the time period. Where dragon parents are more involved with their young, often in hub worlds with many portals and adult dragons, the youth can be observed forming cliques and clubs around particular interests, sports, or various martial or magical disciplines. In our current era there are a great many dragons in the same areas with more neglectful parents, resulting in the formation of gangs which operate outside the law, following their own codes of conduct. The adults look down on these groups with disappointed contempt, but don't bother to interfere unless their own wealth is threatened, making the streets of dragon cities surprisingly dangerous for non-dragons and more benign zeroes. Individual strength is extremely important to dragons, so the surrounding culture of the adults dictates that the young be allowed to form their gangs and thin their own numbers, ensuring only "worthy" dragons survive. There are some orphanages for the rare case of some dragons whose parents have perished in a cosmic conflict, but the protection they provide is only offered to dragons below the age of 33 years.

I am of the mind that these young dragons are all the more magical and fascinating than the adults, and I know I'm not alone in this opinion. While dragons who have lived to breed several times take an aloof stance in the face of most other races, there are many dragon gangs that interact directly and often with other races. Approximately 76% (plus or minus 3%) of all dragon investors are below the age of 2,000 years, and they put their wealth to use funding races with a mind for scientific advancement or magical discovery. Dragons need a large hoard of valuable items, land, or stock to feel fulfilled, so are inclined to take risks to grow their hoards while they are younger. They will inevitably grow to be more reserved with their expenses as they settle for what they gathered in their youth, but the results of these investments benefit all dragon kind, regardless of age. All the latest technology from across the known realms can be found in the Dragon Realms, and the richest of zeroes have the best and most experimental of these technologies. Despite the high mortality rate of these children, they leave the world better than it was, and those few dragons who somehow maintain their youthful spirit into adulthood keep the economies of nearby civilizations booming with their massive donations and huge investments.

The active and adventurous nature of young dragons may be contributing to their abnormally high sex drives, as well as their interactions with species that become sexually mature after less than 20 years. Zeroes often become ready and eager for physical intimacy between the ages of 29 and 35 years, and this interest persists into adulthood. Dragonesses have described to me the state of mind they find themselves in when they are finally mating to breed rather than simply for pleasure, and after their first clutch they tend to be less aggressive in their advances. Male dragons calm over the course of their next half-millennia of life, continuing to mate for pleasure but with less frequency. The sexual activity of the younger dragons will vary from group to group, but many of them stick to the mating traditions of their kin, often times more strictly than the adults due to instinctive pride. Power earns the right to mate in draconic eyes, so pair bonding is not common practice. Instead, dragons perform fair value calculations of one another, and the most powerful dragons will take mates until they have a group of weaker dragons whose collective influence are equivalent to his or her own. If gender plays a role in these internal calculations, it is a minor consideration at most. The exact results of my survey of these sexually active zeroes are included with this document, but in summary there was no statistically significant difference between mating groups led by females as compared to those led by males.

Conflicts often arise between groups of zeroes who have different codes, morals, and beliefs, since they will disagree on the value of potential mates who wish to engage in sex outside of their gangs. This does sadly lead to many deaths, a dragon's passion for a desirable mating arrangement serving as another of many motivators for the "weeding out of the weak" process. This population control is born of dragon culture and their instinctive pride, but it is not necessary in the least. Since dragon eggs continue to fuel the growth of portals to entirely new worlds the dragon population could potentially expand infinitely without consequence. Considering this and the record lows for mortalities amongst the young in the last cycle, it is possible that we will see a massive culture shift away from these fatal contests. Spyro, a hero amongst dragons, is only 32 years old as of this study, and has inspired his peers to focus on external goals rather than their constant in-fighting. I've included my predictions for the development of mortality rates for the next twenty cycles of the zodiac.

As for the adults I know very little. They are not forthcoming with direct answers and often speak in riddles. I know not what the Dream Weavers actually do, or whom the Peacekeepers go to war with every 200 years. I can say that some adults don't fit into the central structures of the dominant dragon clans, and many of these dragons serve as solitary protectors and rulers of their own civilizations, other races forming communities of servile laborers under the dragons' wings and watchful eyes. One thing that most every dragon shares despite where they fit in dragon society is a hatred for dark magic, and those dragons who turn to it are considered perverse abominations. It is a very special circumstance indeed that sees an adult dragon forgiven for using dark magic, and a popular advocate insisting that such a dragon has changed his or her ways is very helpful in this regard. Younger dragons who dabble in dark magic are mostly left alone, as it is believed that the exposure will cause enough pain on its own to encourage such dragons to change their ways before it is too late. This lax attitude seems to work the majority of the time, but if a young dragon becomes exceptionally adept at using dark magic they are quickly snuffed out by teams of Peacekeepers.

Signed,

Professor, The

Note to self: adults still coming off as too unsympathetic? Consider rewording again for third draft. Perhaps push publishing back again for more information on the clans. The Magic Crafters and Dream Weavers are hiding something of importance-

 _The Professor stopped, setting his pencil aside._ Why did I write that down? _He thought, viciously scribbling over the post-script._ Perhaps it is time that I moved these drafts and data to Spyro's new castle, just to be safe. _Thus far the dragons had respected his property and privacy, but with each passing month he grew more paranoid. When he'd met Spyro an example had been set, and he grew to believe that dragons were heroic and noble creatures. Some nights he lied awake, wishing he'd never learned otherwise._ At least Spyro will have a good life. He's strong enough to forge his own path. _Regardless of his paranoia, the Professor knew that the Dragon Elders had no reason to perceive him as a threat. The thought didn't slow his racing mind by much, and he never noticed that a crumpled up piece of paper had been removed from the trash can by the door._


	2. Spellbound

Spyro was a popular young dragon.

It was unavoidable, considering all the things he'd accomplished over the span of a couple of decades, and without the aid of any parents. Moreover, Spyro himself didn't really want to avoid the attention. He'd saved his entire species from a spell cast by Gnasty Gnorc and specifically tailored to transform all dragons into useless statues, in part because the spell could only hone in on and track adult dragons with their great mana signatures, but that would have meant nothing if the young hero hadn't displayed the skill and cunning to annihilate entire armies and recover treasure while doing so, as well as avoid Gnasty's spells at close range. That had earned him several televised interviews, skyrocketing him to the most popular and widely known dragon within their own realm, since none of them had ever done so much with only the help of a lightly enchanted dragonfly and a few fairies. Even this was just the first of what would be many noteworthy deeds, and Spyro soaked up the attention with the practiced ease of a born celebrity.

He went on to end wars and save children in the distant realm of Avalar, successfully facing off against yet another mage determined to control an entire realm. His quest was to defeat Ripto and his minions, but at every turn he found other problems to solve, and so he simply solved them all without slowing his pace. Traveling throughout a realm and fixing everything whilst nabbing treasure for his hoard had already become second-nature to Spyro, and he finished the whole affair without much trouble. Even though it was a massive undertaking and a year-long campaign, Spyro and his allies never suffered a major setback. When the inhabitants of the Dragon Realms finally learned where Spyro had disappeared off to and what he'd been doing they were all too eager to report on that story as well. Suddenly exotic peoples from disparate worlds were all speaking of Spyro's heroism, and he became a household name in several realms beyond his own.

When a Sorceress from yet another realm decided she needed baby dragon pieces for alchemical reasons it was no surprise that the Dragon Elders simply pointed Spyro at the problem and considered it resolved. Younger adults had a great deal of investment in their lost children, and other dragons at Spyro's age were worried that he might not be able to save the eggs in time, but the journey to the Forgotten Realms was considerably difficult for large creatures and too dangerous for youngsters. Except, of course, the unstoppable youngster who seemed destined to slay armies and defeat advanced spellcasters. Legions of Rhynocs were incinerated, skewered, or slashed to meaty ribbons, and Spyro even had a few new grateful friends to show for it. All of the eggs were returned intact, and long forgotten treasure was retrieved. After a third successful campaign against tyranny, Spyro was no longer treated like a miraculously capable or lucky young dragon. Instead he was respected and feared as a legendary warrior and tactician, destined to do great things.

Fame wasn't the only thing Spyro was gaining an abundance of in these years. The treasure he'd taken from Gnasty had generously been returned to its prior owners, but since they all owed Spyro their lives and he'd recovered it for them he was allowed to keep a portion of each hoard, as determined on a case-by-case basis. Of course, when a fire-breathing dragon treads through lands yet unclaimed by other dragons he keeps the treasure he takes, and he'd done so through two entire realms. When he was just starting to hit puberty, he was already absurdly rich and purchased his own lavish home in the central world of the Dragon Realms. He had just enough room for his most valuable treasures in the basement and dumped the rest into a bank account.

Many of the Elders came to know Spyro during this downtime, as Spyro had become unwillingly involved in politics due to his deeds. The Council of the Fae had sworn their undying loyalty and service to Spyro, claiming that he fit into some Fae prophecy and that it was their destiny to guard and guide him throughout the realms. Spyro had already been helped greatly by fairies, and they'd done a lot more to help him than other dragons as they had a much easier time avoiding spells and traveling the realms. Thus, in spite of his species, Spyro always had the fairies' needs firmly in mind while representing them. When the Dragon Elders desperately needed something from the Fae they would try to convene a meeting they knew no actual fairies on the Council could attend, thinking Spyro would be easy to persuade to their side: he wasn't. While a few of the Elders thought poorly of such trickery and in turn gained more respect for Spyro, some others were agitated by the stonewalling. A few of them spoke openly of his rudeness during meetings and his lack of proper respect for his Elders, but no matter the truth of the claims they did actually improve Spyro's reputation amongst those of his own age.

In spite of all of this, many dragons considered their species to simply be superior to all others, and so considered Spyro's success to be a given. It came as no surprise to these supremacists that even a young dragon whelp would overcome anything short of another dragon. When a former Dragon Elder gone bad freed Gnasty from prison and sought to conquer several realms at once with the corruptive power of dark gems there was a considerable degree of panic amongst the general populace, but Spyro didn't share their fear. Spyro and his unofficial, ragtag group of liberators tore down the plans of this newest, fiendish spellcaster. The odds were massively stacked against them. Red, as he had taken to calling himself, had many powerful agents, pressed the remaining population of gnorcs into his service, had dark and elemental magic at his disposal, and had a keen sense for the future, employing robotic enforcers as soon as possible. He was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than Spyro as well, but his dragon-kata did him no good. Spyro had the confidence, reflexes, determination, and natural talent necessary to overcome everything Red threw at him, and after soundly defeating an Elder Dragon, Spyro's reputation grew more impressive still.

It was said that dragons become sexually mature long before reaching their full size, and this rumor was mostly true as it related to a dragon's mind. A dragon's youth before puberty strikes lasted for nearly three decades, and around the same time they would finally be able to consistently fly. At that stage of development, the act of mating could be quite pleasurable with other dragons of the same size, while not producing any eggs. After so much time dragons could begin to yearn for mates, but traditionally they didn't pair off for life as other races often did. Dragons had a sense of pride and an eye for worth in all things, and so judged relationships by these standards. The more powerful and influential a dragon, and the larger his or her hoard became, the more eyes would turn to that dragon with amorous intent. Of course, a lack of disputes and the modernization of dragon society had changed how they approached romance. For one, dragons sought mates for more personal reasons more often than not, and for another the side effect of powerful dragons drawing the eyes of rivals in addition to mates had mostly become null and void. Dragons in Spyro's time weren't prone to in-fighting, as they had been just a couple of cycles ago, and maintained laws against theft to keep the peace, their cultural focus having shifted to magical and artistic pursuits. The adoption of the pair-bonding of other races continued at a gradual and casual pace, as some dragons grew to desire secure, lifelong relationships with single partners.

It was no surprise when Spyro was approached by Ember, a young female with pretty pink scales who was completely enamored with him, just before Red's ill-fated return, and at the same time other male dragons his age were actively encouraging him and stroking his ego. They were all inspired by his actions and cocky attitude, declaring him to be the dragon out of time, carrying the fierce and noble spirits of their long dead ancestors into battle. It helped his image with his peers immensely that he made plenty of time between political meetings and heroics for skateboarding competitions and snowboard racing. He'd spent much of his youth prior to Gnasty's attack acting as an impartial middle-dragon for youth gangs trading liquors and drugs, and threw out gang signs before competitions in recognition of the older kids who had taught him a few tricks he would be using. The camera dragons didn't know what it meant and didn't really care, and foreign broadcasters were even less suspicious. He was someone his younger peers looked up to and whom his older peers respected above both the law and tradition.

Combining this with his defeat of Red made him the ultimate symbol of constructively directed youthful rebellion. Prior to and after Red's defeat he'd gone on even more adventures, won countless competitions, and practically reshaped the economy with the influence of his hard-earned wealth. A business bear named Moneybags who used to mainly dabble in conning others built a mostly legitimate business selling niche, expensive items to dragons. The most advanced and powerful items in his shifting stock were also the most expensive and were almost exclusively purchased by Spyro, either for himself or for one of his friends. A mole professor from Avalar had been helping Spyro since they'd met, and found that his research had all the funding it needed, thanks to Spyro.

Considering all of this, one would think that any other dark sorcerers would be reluctant to attack the residence of Spyro, the Mage-Slayer. Apparently one evil dragon sorcerer didn't get the memo and enacted a plan to drain the magic from all the residents of several entire realms all at once, and the Shadow Realm was the key to his plot. A recently escaped Red had sworn his service to this new evil, but Spyro was not content with simply defeating his old enemy this time. After learning dragon-kata, mastering every Elemental breath attack, learning to cast draconic spells, and cutting and smashing his way through shadow minions, the heroic young dragon convinced Red to abandon his dominating ambitions. With an old enemy now his ally, Spyro freed the realms and soundly defeated the Sorcerer, sending the dark dragon of many forms back into realms unknown. Red was accepted back into the fold of the Elders, and Spyro was showered with praise and gifts from across the realms. His wealth was so beyond absurd that he no longer had any idea what to do with it all, and claimed a massive stretch of land beyond an unexplored portal to build his own castle simply for the storage space it would afford him and the fun of designing his own home. A few of the more superstitious families throughout the realms began to whisper that Spyro was the mortal incarnation of Io, the first dragon of the Heavens and the progenitor of all other Dragon Gods.

It is after these events and under such extraordinary circumstances that the story of Spyro losing his virginity begins…

* * *

Shadows billowed up from the ground in a magical display of blackness consuming the light, passing over the ground as it did so. It was an advanced magical technique to hide one's self within the magic of anti-light, simply referred to as shadow magic by most. Even so, the dragoness using the technique was young, and therefore small. As such, the shadows that marked her passage could easily have gone unnoticed, and her theft likewise, but she wasn't so lucky.

Cynder slithered out of the ground in one fluid motion, her sleek, attractive body stretching to remove the aching in her muscles, a smirk growing on her face. "Well well well..." Her face fell into a frown as she looked behind herself, three other dragons her age dropping from the cliff she'd hugged specifically to avoid prying eyes on the ground. While she silently cursed herself the group of Mountain Crackers closed in, surrounding her. They were all male and possessed green scales, the one on her right looking as if he was partially composed of plants and the one on her left small for his age, sporting an odd set of wings that reminded her of an overgrown dragonfly. The mountain of muscle in the middle was by far the most intimidating, but he didn't impress the Knifetail he'd caught. "Looks like we've caught ourselves a shadow dancer, boys."

"Is she gonna put on a show for us, Rock?" Cynder huffed at that, shielding the bag hanging from her shoulder with a wing while trying to look like she wasn't worried. The silver knives that had been magically fused with her wing joints and tail tip promised blood as easily as her naturally silvery horns and claws, and her scale markings, bracelets, and choker seemed to advertise that she was no stranger to violence. All of her fellow Knifetails had similarly infused silver pieces, supposedly for the sake of hunting vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. They would allow no competition for the shadows in the Dragon Realms.

"I'm not sure you'd like the show I'd put on." The Wind Element Cynder was born with would be next to useless against the muscular and thick-scaled Earth dragons, but she'd learned to wield various other breath attacks by 'encouraging' an Electric Fairy for her blessing and studying dark magic, which was one of the many reasons she was determined to get away with the spellbook she'd just taken. It wasn't something the Mountain Crackers were inclined to put to proper use, but it was valuable and that was enough reason for the dragon gang to hoard it with the rest of their treasures. Whether her extra abilities would be enough to even the odds in a one against three fight remained to be seen.

A short distance away, two other young dragons were enjoying the evening sun and the wind passing under their wings, and the dragon in the lead noticed the impending fight below before it could properly start. "Slow down, Spyro!" The dragoness tailing him begged breathlessly, having trouble keeping up with him whenever he forgot to pace himself for her sake.

"Don't pretend you aren't enjoying the view." He teased, shaking his hips and lifting his tail a bit. Ember had to bite her lip to choke down an embarrassing moan before it could pass her lips. His butt was so firm, round, and perfect that she couldn't look away. She was so distracted that she managed to keep her eyes glued to him without really noticing the implications of his expert twist in the air until she had to crane her neck back to look at him. He'd suddenly banked off to the right and she flittered around to follow him to his new destination.

Spyro had a very personal reason for his detour, as he'd easily recognized the dragoness who'd taught him how to work the streets. Cynder and he were both orphans, though she was five years his senior. It was an insignificant amount of time for most dragons, even those below a century old, but since he was only a few years out of the egg when they met it had seemed significant to him. Cynder had given Spyro the skills to live his own life away from the orphanage, and he could trace his skateboarding prowess back to her reluctant lessons. Even if she deserved the trouble she'd landed herself in, Spyro wouldn't let her take it when he knew he could help.

His confident stride and serene smile would have been enough to give the other dragons pause, but his mere identity amplified the effect. "Back up, leaf-scales. Leave the lady some breathing room." Spyro made a shooing gesture with his wing and the dragon in question obliged, lowering his head in a sign of submission. Rock was less impressed and his other companion had an unreadable expression. That changed when Spyro made the sign of the Mountain Crackers with his claws, followed by the sign of the Knifetails, and then the sign of the Courier. He finished the display by stretching his wings upward above his head and puffing out his chest, the stance of the Lord. The message to the older dragons was ambiguous in some regards, but clearly not hostile. Ember had missed the gang signs, panting a few feet away and watching the scene uncertainly. "I'm glad you were on time, Cynder."

Cynder did her best to play along with whatever Spyro was doing, keeping her words vague and her tone friendly until she knew his plan. "It's always nice to see you, Spyro." His wing casually brushed hers out of the way so he could reach a clawed hand into her bag and pull out the contents, which happened to be a hefty spellbook. To all the world Spyro seemed to have been expecting this, nodding to himself as he flipped through a few of the pages. Only Cynder noticed just how closely his eyes read through detail after precious detail, his mind quickly forming assumptions about its place with the Mountain Crackers based on the contents. "I did everything just the way you said."

" _You_ wanted to steal from us?" Rock was shocked and confused by the idea, but Spyro just laughed at that.

"Of course not. Who's representing?"

They introduced themselves in turn from his left to his right. "High Five." "Rock." "Camo."

"Alright, good to know. Take a good hard look at Cynder here, Rock. Do you really think she's dumb enough to try and sneak past your look-out cliff?" They all shook their heads slightly. "Exactly. She knows about it, I know about it, everyone knows about it. The reason she came here was to get your attention. Now, I realize you don't want anyone knowing you have something like this," he slapped the spellbook closed, "but I heard the rumors and simply had to know if they were true. There's also the matter of this stuff being really dangerous when the wrong sorts come rolling into town."

"Yeah, but you'll just kick their asses anyway, right?" Spyro gave High Five a rather unimpressed glance. "Okay, I guess an easier fight would be better."

"Bingo. Not that I trust the Elders with something like this after the whole _Code Red_ incident. There is still one safe place for dangerous spellbooks, if you catch my meaning." They took a moment to process his words, Cynder smirking triumphantly as Spyro's quick thinking pulled her out of a rough fight. Perhaps she could still have a productive day afterall.

"So," Camo started, "You're stealing it, but we should let you? Because it's a good cause?"

Spyro sighed and shook his head as if disappointed. "Not my style, Camo. I'm buying it from you, obviously. Well, buying it from your boss. How does a thousand gold pieces worth of yellow sapphires sound? They'll be from my personal hoard to keep bank records out of this so I'll be giving up some of my best gems for this thing."

"I don't know." Rock tilted his head, frowning. "That seems a bit low."

"Low?" Spyro let the spellbook dangle from only two claws and held it up for everyone to get a good look at it. "For this tattered old book filled only with soul-sundering spells that none of you are dumb enough to cast?" There was a short pause, the Mountain Crackers looking between each other uncertainly. "If one of you starts talking about historical significance then you'll give away your cover and everyone will know you're an Elder in disguise." That relieved some of the tension, but the three lookouts were still clearly a bit confused as to what to do next. Spyro decided it was best to end things while he still had their trust and before he made them feel any more awkward. He snapped his fingers in Cynder's direction. "Cynder, the bag." She obliged without complaint, looking as if this turn of events had been her plan all along. "Your boss and I can discuss prices at the Night Lotus Skatepark next week. Same day, same time."

Spyro placed the book back in the bag and slipped the strap over Rock's shoulder, looking deeply into his eyes. "So, you can take it back discreetly." The time for deception was over, because Spyro meant every word of what he said next. "This book is dangerous. I'm trusting you with it for another week. Keep it safe this time."

It was easy for young dragons wrapped up in their own little disputes and confrontations to distance themselves from the bigger picture, to not see beyond the everyday troubles of their personal lives. From their perspective, Spyro was an unstoppable force of nature that would handle every major problem for them, but Rock saw things very differently with the dragon himself right in front of him. Spyro may have been exceptionally capable, but he was a dragon like any other with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Here he was worrying over a spellbook that Rock had only thought of as a piece of his gang's hoard, a mere monetary asset. Spyro saw the world differently, because he couldn't rely on parents he didn't have or Elders who were useless in a fight, and Rock suddenly felt guilty for never having helped him before. "It won't leave my sight until I know you have it."

"Actually," Hive Five started, "we'll watch it in shifts. Like sane people who need sleep."

Camo did a little salute with a wing. "We won't let you down, Master!" Spyro froze mid-nod, processing that. Rock was wincing with embarrassment.

"I'm not your master, kid." Spyro was surprised at himself for managing to keep his composure, and the fact that he'd just called a dragon who was likely at least half a decade older than him 'kid' just made the whole situation feel even weirder. He glanced back at the girls and saw that Ember was silently giggling right along with Cynder, even though the younger dragoness still didn't know exactly what was happening. He turned back and saw that Camo had wilted a little, which made Spyro frown with regret. "I'm flattered, really. I just don't have any idea what you actually mean."

"It's not weird, I swear!" That made Cynder snort while Ember gazed at Camo with sympathy. "It's just one of your official titles! You mastered dragon-kata three years ago at the age of twenty-nine while fighting the Sorcerer, making you the youngest Master in history! The previous record holder had been seventy-seven! If you started teaching then you'd also be the youngest Sensei."

"He's obsessed with you, hero boy." It seemed that High Five and Camo had petty arguments about Camo's 'obsession' quite often, since the latter dragon managed to mostly ignore the jab, taking on an expression of mild agitation. Spyro already felt like he was earning the respect and loyalty of these three, and it felt as good as it always did. There was a crazy idea that he just couldn't get out of his head unless he tried it, and Camo was to blame.

"So, does this mean you want lessons, or what?" Camo gasped at Spyro's words, forgetting about High Five's teasing completely as his eyes opened wide in dumbfounded shock. High Five himself started fidgeting fiercely, trying not to look envious. Rock just kept glancing at the bag, thinking anxious thoughts about the tome within.

"I- I- I'd be honored, Master!"

Spyro winked at him. "Soon as we get this book thing straightened out then we'll get started. You can bring a few friends if you want, too." He pretended not to notice High Five's wings fluttering excitedly when he said that. "Now get outta here. I've got girls waiting on me." After they were far enough away, Spyro quietly sighed in relief and turned around.

Ember was glancing between Cynder and Spyro while the two stared each other down, slowly coming to the realization that their meeting hadn't been planned as they'd pretended. That and Cynder's smoldering gaze as she strutted toward Spyro made Ember's expression sour. "Thanks for bailing me out."

"Damn it, Cynder! Now I've got to buy a book I don't give a flying fuck about just to keep up appearances. It may surprise you to learn this, but I actually like my hoard being huge." She wasn't fooled by his words, but how much he cared about the book didn't matter to her so she ignored it.

"So I'm worth a thousand pieces, huh?" Cynder was clearly flirting with him, and he found it a bit overwhelming. Certainly he'd planned to invite Ember over and conquer the shyness he tried to pretend he didn't have around females, but Sparx's advice hadn't accounted for a situation like this. Cynder had shaped him into the dragon he'd needed to be when Gnasty first showed up to cause problems, and he'd thought of her as something akin to an older sister. When her tail brushed against his face and pulled his gaze down to her hips and then hiked ever so slightly the enticing view shattered that delusion completely.

Spyro glanced up into Ember's eyes. She looked to be just agitated enough to either say something they'd all regret or just leave. "Why don't you girls come back to my place?" That changed everything. Ember hadn't been expecting Spyro to make such an offer to her, blushing intensely and running a claw through the dirt. The dual invitation brought thoughts to mind that Ember had never had before, and after a moment she noticed that Cynder was studying her with interest, as if she'd entertained a few ideas about what to do with another dragoness from time to time. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but the fact that Cynder clearly liked what she was seeing just made her blush harder, and if Spyro meant what she thought he meant then she wouldn't dare pass up the opportunity. "Both of you, for the whole night." Well, that just confirmed it.

"Sure! Why not?" Ember said, trying to sound casual.

"She sure is pretty." Cynder was an expert tease. Spyro gave a hearty laugh at how easily he'd redirected her attention.

"Yes, she is. Come on, the portal to my castle is this way. We just finished building it last month."

There was a short pause after they took off, Cynder glancing back toward the Mountain Crackers flying off in the distance. "So, about that book."

"You can't have the evil spellbook, Cynder." That made Ember giggle, Cynder huffing in exaggerated offense. "You can read it in my den, but no casting."

"At least it's not a total loss."

"Just don't get caught next time."

It seemed like such a short time ago that Spyro and Ember had just been kids. Her crush on him back then had been the sort that the younger race's daughters would develop for boy bands, and he'd responded with confusion and disinterest. When she'd switched her focus to a young armadillo named Bandit the news had come as a relief to Spyro. Of course, that was before either of them had any interest in sex, and before Spyro had a chance to feel regret or jealousy he'd learned that Bandit and Ember had parted ways. Since then she seemed reluctant to open up around Spyro, until he hinted that maybe he actually liked having her around. It had been an awkward journey to get back to being friends, and the tension between them could only be eased by one thing. By all the social calculations dragons were prone to make in their subconscious, Spyro had the status to take several mates, and that simple fact was on Ember's mind constantly. Only now that she was flying beside another eager dragoness did she come to the conclusion that she didn't mind. On the contrary, her heart pounded with nervous, excited anticipation.

Cynder could read the younger dragons easily. Both of them were bundles of nerves, but Spyro was much better at hiding it. Ember had had a much more sheltered life than the other two, and was less accustomed to masking her emotions. They'd met in passing once or twice at public events, but most of what Cynder knew about Ember was from gossip. According to the rumors she'd gone up to Cliff Town to bed an armadillo before sulking back to the Elders' Village, disappointed and bitter. Cynder knew she'd had an adorable crush on Spyro a few years back, and perhaps it was selfish of her to insert herself in the middle of that, but self-interest was a draconic virtue. Besides, Spyro had invited them both and she hadn't heard any complaining from Ember. She'd been certain that Spyro had just moved on and forgotten about her once he was plenty rich enough to no longer need the skills of a thief, the skills she'd taught him, but in hindsight she'd mistaken his being busy with disinterest.

It was no secret to those with Cynder's experience that first times were almost always awkward, or even borderline uncomfortable. Doubly so when each dragon involved was losing their virginity together. To repay Spyro for his timely intervention she'd do her best to make his first time better than hers, and that meant taking care of Ember too in this circumstance. As such she formally introduced herself as they flew, striking up a casual conversation. They were unsurprised at their shared passion for jewelry, as every dragoness with any sense would strut about with some manner of jewelry as a sample of their hoards, but their vastly different tastes gave them plenty to discuss. That in turn gave Spyro time to regroup and consider what pushed him to this point.

Sparx was touched by dragon magic, a unique dragonfly like no other. With his extended lifespan and telepathic abilities came superior intelligence, but he still had desires driven by biology. For a long time, he tried to ignore it, since the other dragonflies wouldn't be emotionally intelligent enough to form a relationship with him. One day he was too pent up and stopped caring, flitting off to Dragonfly Swamp and letting out his frustrations. He'd returned rather pleased with himself, having enjoyed the outing much more than he expected to. He had plenty of sex, and he still had emotional fulfillment with Spyro, Hunter, and his other friends. People often wanted romance, but they needed sex, so what would be the harm in putting sex first? That was the spirit behind Sparx's advice, even if he had to resort to teasing Spyro for still being a virgin to get him to agree. _How are you ever going to beat my record if you never get started?_ Sparx had said. _Just do what I do in the swamp._ _They all want you, so just pick one and go for it_.

The dragonfly's boasting had revolved around the quantity of females he managed to "fertilize" in one day, and even though two was far from Sparx's seven the young dragon couldn't get the idea out of his head when he saw Ember and Cynder standing so close to each other. He looked back at them just talking, smiles on their faces, and decided that he was definitely luckier than his little buddy. Cynder had been his role model for a good few years, the ways he sought to emulate her making him into the dragon he needed to be at the time. Even though they'd grown into very different dragons since parting ways they still shared something personal and fundamental. Ember had been something else entirely, her nurturing mother and overcautious father grooming her into a loving and gentle soul. At first her naivety and worrying had bothered Spyro, but he'd grown to like the idea of at least one person being genuinely concerned for his safety. She had started on a little rebellious streak after returning from Cliff Town, and her parents hadn't been happy about her leaving in the first place. When she wanted to get away from them for awhile Spyro would let her follow him around. He'd learned from Cynder how to be hard to find, so he and Ember had spent a lot of quiet time away from everyone else recently.

Spyro didn't have to choose between them. They were both following him, exchanging stories about jewelers and their favorite gemstones. Yes, he was certainly going to enjoy this.

Dragons had a tendency to settle down together, establishing large territories and then sticking to them for millennia at a time. Some twelve thousand years ago they'd carved out an expansive territory that had become known as the Dragon Realms, just as the Forgotten Realms had once been so named for the same reason. As it was, there were worlds with portals beyond the usual clusters, and dragons had yet to run low on more easily accessed space, building their capitals in areas with many portals for convenience. This left an uncounted number of unexplored worlds to whomever bothered to find them first, should such places not prove to already be inhabited. Most dragons preferred the safety and familiarity of lands where other dragons had already roamed, and so considered holding ground in or near a capital to be a form of wealth. Spyro was less impressed by the idea of attributing value to a place because of how many old dragons used to lay around there, and he didn't need or trust other dragons to keep him safe from anything, so he'd built his new home in one of the unclaimed worlds.

Spyro lead them to the portal, standing between two trees near the edge of an unremarkable forest clearing, and the trio flew through. There was nothing particularly special about the world itself, a place with typically fine weather and a mountain range near the portal entrance, but nothing special was exactly what Spyro had wanted. Expansive fields stretching off to the East and the South, a forest beyond a number of hills to the West, and Spyro's new castle built against the Northward mountains, a calm ocean just beyond them. Spyro had of course enlisted the help of the Professor when designing the place, and its placement was one of the Professor's suggestions. The Professor had been excited at the prospect of designing a private mine for someone with the funds to use the best possible equipment, and Spyro had agreed to pay for his newest automated systems. Thanks to advanced robotics the whole operation ran entirely on its own, needing only occasional maintenance from the Professor himself. They'd built it before the rest and Spyro had started to see genuine profits beyond the initial investment only two and a half years after the expense.

Cynder and Ember hadn't even noticed the turrets hidden beneath the dirt on either side of the entrance portal, as their legality was questionable and they'd remain inactive unless Spyro put the whole system on siege defense mode. As they followed Spyro toward the gates they saw only the signs of an entirely traditional castle, all the most advanced equipment hidden from view by the stone walls. They did notice that the drawbridge was made of some sort of flexible metal, but that wasn't particularly surprising. The moat gave them pause as they were crossing, Ember pointing to strange metal rods poking out from the far side. Cynder took note of the circular towers, a dozen by her count, and the odd sheen that could only been seen on the stone up close. She was sure the outer walls had been enchanted somehow, likely to resist spells and heavy projectiles. "Damn, these are some impressive defenses."

"This is just standby mode. If anyone was crazy enough to attack me here then things would get a lot scarier." Rather than leading to a courtyard the portcullis opened to a grand hall with ornate archways, rows of dormant gnorc bots on either side of the dragons with laser-guided plasma blasters in hand. "There is no separate keep. It's all one big superstructure. It'll see a lot more use as a huge mansion than a stronghold anyway." He turned to his guests with a self-assured grin, gesturing to the right at the end of the entrance hall with a wing. "But if you liked the walls I could always show you the rest of the defenses." Cynder hummed with approval and Ember nodded emphatically. "Right this way."

Spyro brought them to the emergency security activation room, which was a much smaller and blander version of the central control room that was only designed to support control of the defenses. After the thick titanium door opened automatically for Spyro's unique mana signature he started pointing things out. "First of all, that door only opens if I'm here. As a secondary defense for the computer it won't turn on for anyone else and needs a password only I know before it lets me in. It's close to the entrance so I can get here fast, but the big control room overrides it so it's useless to anyone else if I'm back there and say so." He booted the system and hid the keyboard under his wing while typing the code, and then he listed individual defenses as the screens lit up. "So the walls are already enchanted, but I've got a deflector shield too to take the brunt of kinetic attacks. Seven hundred total defense robots, all ready to go. Two dozen floating platforms sit dormant behind the walls, waiting to lift up defense bots and fire their lightning turrets, just in case the bots behind the ramparts and lower firing slits can't get a good shot. Automated machine guns on the ramparts to plug holes in the defensive line. I can electrify the moat at the press of a button, and as for its other purpose I have secondary concrete barriers underground just behind the moat to protect against clever tunnelers. These last two buttons are all about big booms. One activates the minefield we just flew over and the other, well, that makes the drawbridge explode."

"Eh, not impressed." Cynder mocked playfully, shrugging her wings. Ember looked at her like she was insane, but Spyro just rolled his chair to the other of the two stations.

"Worried about the skies? Ha! Laser defense network capable of bringing a premature climax to twelve hundred missiles per second from up to ten thousand miles away. Thirty quad barreled anti-air flak guns. Thirteen plasma mortars on the mountain. Laser-guided missile launchers and ones that seek heat because why the Hell not? Heavy turbines on the walls to make flying a pain, and a dome shield projected behind the walls to make it pointless." Spyro relocked the system and the screens immediately went dark, their owner hopping out of his seat and slowly stepping toward the girls. "Fae magic prevents anyone from teleporting inside or bending the structure with spells. I took the machines that Red made the Professor build, so now they're mine. The skies are governed by me from right here and the ground is no different. Digging here is only safe if I say it is. This whole world belongs to me."

Cynder's façade of cool indifference fell apart as he edged closer, his face inches from hers. "Nothing can get here without my permission." She felt his lips press against hers, Spyro holding her gaze throughout the kiss with the same confidence he'd projected when discussing the security systems. Her eyes were wide with shock by the time he pulled back and turned to Ember. "No one is going to bother us." Suddenly Ember was experiencing what she'd just watched, her wings fanned out and her eyes half closed as she surrendered to him. She gave a quiet, muffled moan, and was breathing heavily when he stepped away, strutting back out the door. "Not until I'm done with you two."

Ember was following Spyro very closely after that, Cynder hanging back as he guided them to the den. She knew most virgin dragons were inclined to show off their strength or their wealth before taking potential partners to bed, the drive to do so built into their species on an almost instinctual level. She also found such displays tiresome most of the time, and it was mostly ignored as frivolous by dragons her age once they had some experience. This had been a special circumstance, since she'd been genuinely quite curious about the castle, but then she finally came to understand the appeal of those displays. Spyro had done a much better job of it than she'd ever seen, exerting an air of control over the environment that had her tail swaying with anticipation.


	3. Guidance

After a short time the trio of dragons passed a threshold within Spyro's high-tech castle, reaching a grand hall with a colorful skylight that branched off in three distinct directions. A staircase lead up to a balcony that circled the space, three sets of ornately carved double doors on each floor so each path could be followed on either of the two floors. There were a number of smaller, single doors on the first floor leading to several small storage spaces, and a second staircase leading down under the shadow of the first. Spyro lead them through the rightmost doors on the second floor, Cynder noting that the carving was of Spyro and Sparx, the former grinning. She hummed in approval: vanity was a draconic virtue. "I see you put the Artisans to work here."

Spyro nodded. "All the commissions were completed off-site. I didn't want anyone snooping around in here. You two are my first guests."

Ember frowned as they passed stained glass windows, the shafts of light making her teal eyes all the more brilliant with every few steps. "This is a lot of space for one dragon." Her mournful tone caught Spyro's attention, and Ember walked into him before coming to a stop herself with an awkward shuffle.

"I know." He looked back at her with a self-assured smirk, flicking his tail against her side. The royal purple of his eyes shined even more brilliantly than his shimmering scales in the flattering light. The sight took Ember's breath away. "That's why you're here."

Cynder stepped past the shadows between the windows, standing beside Ember and letting the sun light her emerald eyes. Ember's gaze was a calming ocean, Cynder's the sharp and tempting glint of flawless gemstones, and both were captivated by Spyro's rich amethyst irises. "This is a lot of space for three dragons too."

Spyro's smirk grew as he started leading them onward again. "Every collection starts small." Cynder chuckled at that, shaking her head. "Besides, I'll take quality over quantity any day."

Spyro didn't waste any time in the den, skipping past the couches and floor cushions to take a spiral staircase up past the third and fourth floors to the top floor of the living and leisure area, shouldering his way into his bedchamber. The sun was descending below the ramparts of the outer wall, plunging the room into the soft glow of dusk when Cynder and Ember caught up with their host. With a carefully directed stream of flame he lit a trail of fire that followed a stone trough around the perimeter of the room, adding a romantic glow to the atmosphere and a light that would serve them well into the night. His bed was large enough to accommodate three fully grown dragons, and so had plenty of room left when Spyro sprung gracefully onto it.

"Come 'ere." He said with more confidence than he felt, hiding his nervous excitement admirably.

"It's about time." In contrast to Cynder's words, Ember thought things were moving very quickly, but she didn't mind at all. While Cynder slithered her lithe form toward the bed, Ember took measured strides directly forward, looking as if she was worried that she might wake from what was surely a dream at any moment.

Until she was close enough for Cynder to toss her onto the bed. "Oof!" Spyro suppressed the urge to chuckle, tilting his head at her.

"You okay there, Ember?"

"She'll be fine." Cynder crawled up onto the bed behind the younger dragoness, stroking the frill on her head and down her spine, her claws gently sliding over Ember's youthful scales. "See what I mean?" Ember arced her back and stretched up, lifting herself toward Cynder's touch. Her eyes were half-lidded and her mouth hung open, Cynder's careful application of pressure at just the right spots making her moan lewdly. The sight made Spyro's wings stiffen and his tail went rigid, blood rushing toward his loins. Cynder brought her other hand around to grope Ember's inner thigh, lightly teasing the lips of her now dripping pussy every few seconds. She was tall enough to snake her head over Ember's shoulder, getting an excellent view of her and Spyro. The poor girl had been yearning for this, and it didn't take much to get her going.

"Spyro." Her voice was shaky, desperate, and pleading, every syllable silky with arousal. "Please. Take me."

" _Fuck, that's hot_." He muttered under his breath, his quiet words barely audible over Ember's breathless moans. He brushed his fingers over Cynder's wrist on his way to Ember's shapely hips, his other hand taking her other side. He listened to the pitch of her moans climb as he made contact, the sound and the shake of her hips making his cock throb in his sheath, the pointed tip poking out. Ember watched him emerge and harden, inch by inch, as his hands wandered, his right sliding up her smooth belly and his left groping her soft, thick ass. "Beautiful." His maleness was fully exposed by then, and he was massive for dragons of their size. His pink tip nearly reached the bottom of Ember's chest from their position, sitting in front of one another, fleshy ridges running down the underside, his girth at the base outdoing his arms, and his balls resting just below his base.

Cynder hummed her approval and snaked her tail past Ember to wrap once around Spyro's midriff, urging him to slide closer. The hand she'd had on Ember's back slipped under Ember's arm to grip her chest, Cynder pressing her front against Ember's back, enveloping her and trapping Spyro's left hand between their bodies. Ember hiked her tail behind Cynder, the closeness of the other dragoness making her even more eager. She could make out the faint sound of Cynder licking her lips near her left earhole just before the older dragoness started to grind her slit into Spyro's knuckles. His other hand had wandered up to Ember's face, his fingers tracing her lips while she panted her warm breath over his snout. Cynder nipped playfully at his wrist and he pulled back his hand, assessing the pair of them. "Do you want him?" Cynder whispered, nuzzling Ember's neck.

"Y-yes." She answered, trembling with need.

"Then kiss him." She did, and he met her half-way, their lips locking and their heads tilted slightly in opposite directions. Spyro licked her lips and she relented immediately, letting him dig his tongue into her maw and taste her own. He lustfully explored her as he returned his hand to her face, stroking her cheek and licking the roof of her mouth. Cynder rewarded his eagerness by licking and kissing up and down his arm, shoving her hips forward and wetting his knuckles with evidence of her own arousal. Ember braced her hands on Spyro's shoulders and pressed her chest against his, his cock pleasantly trapped between their bellies. Ember slid her tongue past his, hungry for more of him, and their tongues wrestled back and forth until she needed to pull away for air, breathing quick and heavy.

Spyro looked her straight in the eyes and spoke with a deep, commanding tone, his voice filled with lust. "Now kiss her." He glanced at Cynder as he spoke, making her freeze up as she tried to catch up with what had just happened. Apparently Spyro wanted to be in charge here, and Ember obeyed, turning and kissing Cynder's cheek. Cynder couldn't resist indulging them, not with Ember's eager gaze and soft lips so close. So, she turned to Ember and they kissed deeply, slow and sensual. Ember let Cynder in first, yielding to her experience, and Cynder tasted the mix of Ember's and Spyro's saliva that pooled at her gums and inner cheeks. Then Cynder guided Ember's tongue forward, parting her lips enough to give Spyro a good view. He started to slowly grind himself into Ember's belly as he watched, making her moan into Cynder's mouth when his balls tapped her wet love tunnel.

Cynder felt her body loosening as Ember kissed her so sweetly, her tail releasing Spyro and swaying back to a more natural position, hovering just above Ember's shorter tail. Ember may have been inexperienced, but she was a natural with plenty of enthusiasm, and Spyro stroking her neck above the choker certainly helped. She glanced at him to see how he was enjoying the show and saw a predatory glint of pure lust in his eyes. Cynder knew what they needed, her hand on Ember's thigh gliding over to her crotch and parting the engorged lips there with her claws, leaving her open and vulnerable to Spyro's throbbing cock. He slid his hips back and lined himself up.

Spyro moved forward with a sudden, forceful thrust, his dick stretching Ember's inner flesh and sending a jolt of intense pleasure up her body. Her eager pussy soaked him with her liquid need, her lips parting from Cynder's as she squealed loudly from the sudden invasion. Cynder took a second to regain her thoughts, glancing at Spyro with an uncertain frown. "Take it easy on her. She's—"

"No! No…" Ember cut off Cynder's mild protests, simply leaning back against the older girl for support. "Don't stop, Spyro. Don't ever."

He shushed her quietly, pressing a finger to her lips. There was an earnest, deep compassion in his eye as he stared back at her, his gaze flowing over the shape of her body and the way Cynder enveloped her with her own, before gradually making the journey back to her face. "I won't. You're gorgeous, Ember. I'm glad to do this with you." He'd only penetrated half-way, her tunnel not adjusted to his girth yet, but each throb of his cock still sent a thrill up her spine. "You can be my first. You deserve it." A feeling of regret washed through her at the thought that he couldn't be her first too, because she'd gone off with Bandit. The little armadillo was too soft, too concerned with what she wanted to ever give her what she really needed. Spyro was who she really wanted. He always had been.

"Spyro, I'm so sorry."

"No no." He cut her off, humping her to dig a little further in and scramble her thoughts. "None of that talk now." He leaned his head up between hers and Cynder's, whispering in their ears. "Just relax and enjoy this. You're mine now." Cynder gasped as he turned his left hand around and dug his fingers into her pussy, his right going to her hips and pressing her more tightly against Ember. "Both of you." He pulled back until only his tip was parting Ember's lips and then slammed in again, her expression melting into pure bliss as he finally claimed her for his own. Their position was a bit awkward, Spyro unable to go all the way in, but the half she did have was already giving her more pleasure than she could have imagined.

Cynder was reasonably impressed, the touch of Spyro's searching fingers and the way each of his humps pushed Ember's body against her own making her wings go stiff, but she shook her head to regain some composure in spite of her arousal. She knew that with a little of her advice her two young lovers would be having a much better time, so she grabbed Spyro's wrists, but gently so he'd know she wasn't testing him, and he let her go. "Don't do all the work, Spyro. You need better leverage anyway. Just focus on her, and put her on her back."

Spyro trusted Cynder completely and followed her directions, slowly lowering Ember to her back. Ember tilted her head as she gazed up at Cynder from her new position, her hands held uncertainly in front of her chest. Gradually comprehension dawned on her as Cynder slithered forward and Spyro gripped Ember's thighs, shifting his feet to a better position. "Hold her hips for us." He slid his grip further down, shaking his head in spite of his giddy grin.

"Crazy bitch." Spyro dug his claws into Ember's scales and she gasped into Cynder's cunt, a drop of her juices landing on Ember's frill.

"Smug whelp." Cynder slammed her hips down, grinding into Ember's face at the same moment that Spyro shoved himself back into Ember's eager pussy. Ember's moans of pleasure sent vibrations through Cynder's body that made the older dragoness moan in turn, her vocalizations huskier and less bombastic. "Put that tongue to use, sweetie." Ember obeyed, parting her lips and snaking her tongue into Cynder's warmth, feminine juices trickling down to her throat to be swallowed hastily. Ember was eager to please, and there were a lot of wet noises coming from her busy face. Spyro groaned while Ember's body welcomed his cock fully, clenching over every inch. With her splayed out on her back he could plow in to his base with ease, and that was exactly what he'd done. Cynder's hands were on his shoulders in the next instant, and she leaned against him for support. "My turn for a kiss from the Mage-Slayer."

"Shut up already." There was a dangerous cockiness to Spyro's expression at that moment, and Cynder got the feeling that riling him up so much was about to pay off. He leaned forward and tilted his head, shoving his tongue deep into her mouth, forcing hers down whenever she tried to push him out. She felt Ember squeal into her pussy and dig deeper, Spyro working her up with a firm thrust, followed by more at a steady rhythm, holding her hips firmly to keep penetrating her as deeply as possible. Cynder thought she had the advantage with her hands free and his occupied, but when she pulled roughly on his horns he wouldn't budge. He was just too strong; she couldn't move him. That she had the audacity to try made him give a light growl of warning and pushed him to go deeper, and he punished her by pressing his tongue in and out of her throat. She gagged in quiet surrender, her grip going slack and her eyes rolling back, drool dribbling down her open maw. The deep penetration of her throat that his snaking tongue achieved was something she'd never experienced before, Spyro the first dragon confident enough to claim her maw so completely.

Cynder gasped breathlessly when Spyro pulled back to readjust his stance, fucking Ember with renewed vigor and an animalistic growl, and then Ember grabbed Cynder's hips and pulled. "Aaah!" Ember's snout dug in and her chin brushed against Cynder's clit with every one of Spyro's rapid thrusts, which shook Ember's entire body. The little dragoness was insatiable, drinking down every squirt from Cynder's pussy and licking up more besides. With a huff Cynder started to hump down roughly over Ember's face, enveloping another precious inch of Ember's curved snout in her velvety inner flesh. Another wet slap from Spyro's hips meeting hers was marked by Ember's most breathless moan yet, her tongue and limbs locking up and her back arcing, her claws twitching slightly from the euphoric feeling pulsing through her. Cynder smirked smugly down at their joined hips as Ember's orgasm took her, her pussy milking Spyro's cock and soaking him in fragrant fluids. The smell of feminine arousal that already filled the air grew thicker and stronger, Cynder breathing deeply to memorize the sweetness of Ember's unique scent. She saw Spyro's face scrunch up as pleasure surged up from their joined sexes, and she glanced down to see-

More clear juices from Ember while Spyro humped slowly, staying deep throughout her orgasm. He hadn't cum. He was still going. "Damn, that felt amazing. Do that again, Ember." She released a muffled hum that sounded like an affirmation and went right back to tongue-bathing Cynder's insides. Spyro started doing the same to the rest of Cynder, licking the drool from her jaw and then making his way down her neck. When he reached her chest she hugged his neck and moaned lovingly. Every flick of Ember's tongue made her tail twitch. She was close.

Spyro skipped past her belly to take her by surprise, suckling her clit insistently. "Oh fuck yes!" Said his gorgeous dragoness, making him smirk and giving him an idea. "Mmm!" Moaned his _other_ gorgeous dragoness when he started working his thumb against her clit. The wet slurping of Ember eating Cynder out and the smell of them made his mind feel numb with pleasure, Ember's sweet embrace gradually wearing down his resolve. He wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

"Aauugh!" Cynder broke first, clutching Spyro's shoulders and groaning girlishly. Spyro pulled his head back and watched her shaking body, her wings fanned out to their fullest, her eyes half-lidded and gaze unfocused, and her hips shuddering down over Ember's face in bursts of unconscious motion. Ember was out of breath and couldn't keep up with the outpour of Cynder's pleasure, her face and neck glistening as she was covered in it. By the time Cynder regained some portion of her senses she could see a hungry glint in Spyro's eyes, his heavy breaths those of a dragon who barely had control of himself. "Spyro?"

He grabbed her shoulders, holding her still as he positioned his lips just below her choker. She yelped when he bit her neck, applying just enough pressure for her to feel it. A dominance bite. She felt Ember gasp and had the presence of mind to lift her hips, letting Ember suck up the air she needed. She was nearly hyperventilating while Spyro fucked her fast and hard, the slap of their hips meeting accented by his grunts and groans. He opened his maw at the last moment and pushed Cynder down on top of Ember, Cynder's chin resting on Ember's clit, Spyro's groin smacking her snout as he buried himself deep and shot the first strand of his hot seed into Ember's cunny, roaring triumphantly. Cynder got a face-full of his musk as he held her down, putting delicious pressure on her back as she was made to support his weight. While Spyro throbbed and filled Ember, she responded with happy moans, hugging Cynder's hips to her chest as she came again, her toes curling cutely. Spyro pulled out slowly, coating every inch of Ember's pussy, his last few strands hitting Cynder's face when his tip slipped free.

Spyro collapsed forward, panting from exertion, but a pair of quiet groans reminded him of his weight and he twisted to the right, laying on his side and giving the others room to breathe. His sperm dripped down onto Cynder's eyelashes, forcing her to close her left eye. Ember had stretched her neck back to get a few breaths past Cynder's tail, Cynder's scent thick in each inhale. Cynder rolled off next, giving Ember a chance to curl up and look down at her loins. She felt wet and full down there. Full of Spyro. She shivered with pleasure just from the thought. He'd made her cum twice before finishing, giving her no respite and driving her to peaks of pleasure that Bandit could never have managed.

They locked eyes and smiled, speaking without words. He could have, and probably would have, any mate that he wanted, and she was one of the mates he'd chosen. Though it was true that his accomplishments were what drew her to him, she'd grown to adore him for other, deeper reasons: reasons that dragons didn't typically care about. She saw the same soft affection in his eyes that she felt in her soul, and in that moment he wasn't hiding or putting up a veneer of stoicism. He was just happy. So was she.

Oddly, Cynder didn't seem to be blocking their line of sight. She'd stood up on the bed, and in the next moment she tackled Spyro, knocking him onto his back and straddling his hips. While he was watching, she wiped his cum from her eyelid and lashes with her fingers, sensually sucking them to clean them off, humming as she did and leaving the remaining few strands of his essence to dry on her face. "You aren't done already, are you?"

It took him a moment to recover his voice after that display, his words quiet and indecisive. "Just give me a minute." She shook her head knowingly, lowering her claws to his softening cock and teasing it back to half-mast. Spyro groaned and clenched his jaw, an indescribable feeling making him tense. He felt vulnerable and exposed, but despite the mischief in Cynder's eyes they were still hers, and he had always been able to trust her. He knew he always would.

"I know you're more sensitive now. Almost sore. It's worse for males than females, but you'll see a lot of action, Spyro." She gripped his tip and started squeezing lightly, grinding herself against the rest of his rod. "Most of us learn to enjoy that feeling, and a lot of males do, too. If it's to your taste you'll be having a lot more fun, so you may as well try it right away." His ridges were teasing her clit wonderfully, and as her over-sensitive flesh pressed against his, her recent climax was firmly in mind. "I'd love to feel that with you now. It's exactly what you gave Ember."

Spyro glanced at Ember's satisfied smile, and she gripped his hand in hers. "It felt amazing, Spyro. Promise you'll fuck me like that again." Spyro's face flushed as Ember of all dragons used that sort of language, that simple statement spoken in her sweet voice making his cock throb back to its full height in Cynder's hand. Cynder purred at the results, brushing her tail against Ember's to express her approval.

"Be honest, Spyro." He looked back up at Cynder and was immediately captivated by her eager eyes, something deep, primal, and erotic in her gaze that he couldn't ignore. "Do you really want me to stop?" He let his gaze follow her hypnotically swaying body, tracing her curves and watching the fire light reflect off her immaculately polished scales and belly-plates. All of her was in the display, from slender neck to serpentine tail, and as he watched her practically poledancing on his dick, dripping her eager fluids on him to mix with the coat of Ember's that had already settled there, he knew what he had to say. There was only one answer he could give in the presence of such raw, sexual energy.

"Fuck no. You can do whatever you want, Cynder." His pride wouldn't allow anything else. If Ember could handle it, then so could he. He felt Ember's grip tighten as she watched, drinking in the intoxicated look on Spyro's face and studying how Cynder moved, determined to learn from the older dragoness.

"Two is a small audience, but since you're VIPs I'll try to give a good show." She slid her claws over Spyro's plates toward his chest, her hips forcing his cock against his belly as her soft lips traveled up ever so slowly. Each time a ridge pushed past her clit the next took longer to do so, Cynder dragging out the motion to make Spyro squirm with desire and eagerness. Whatever reservations Spyro had been holding onto evaporated, and the moment he sighed with pleasure she let his tip slip past her clit and took him deep in one smooth motion.

"Nngh!" The intense tingling of his afterglow was elevated to an onslaught of burning pleasure, more than he would be able to handle were he in control, but Cynder didn't give him a break. Her hands left him as she slithered back to an upright posture, sitting on his cock and gyrating herself over him, making the sensations mount and build, forcing him to adapt. He sighed with pleasure and gave in, the sight of her in action associating the mild pain with feminine beauty and unbridled lust. Her entire body moved in sync with her masterful hips, her neck swaying and her hands gliding seductively down her magenta plates, the fire complimenting the color well. She'd already won him over with her perfect gyrations, but apparently guiding his cock against every inch of her tender pussy was just the prelude of the act, because in the next moment she'd lifted herself up.

"Aaah!" Cynder moaned as she dropped back down, riding Spyro's dick. She kept gyrating on her way down, letting him dig roughly into her depths, her recent release making the contact all the sweeter. Occasionally she would take her time on her way up, swirling her hips to feel him stirring her clenching insides. "Oooh..." She let herself enjoy every touch to its fullest, moaning and cooing with exaggerated intensity, letting her sultry voice envelope Spyro as sweetly and completely as her pussy did. Every sound she made left Spyro dazed with lust, his cock throbbing in response within her. " _Fuck me_." She whispered softly, her shapely body looking so exposed and enticing as she opened herself to him, stirring him into action. He gripped Ember's hand tighter and sighed with pleasure, beginning to hump up into Cynder on her way down each time. "Uhn..." Even as inexperienced as he was there was a strength and confidence to him that made Cynder feel soft and desirable, her clit winking as her pleasure mounted.

Without warning she started moving much faster, slamming down over him rapidly, her tail swirling around behind her and her tongue hanging from her open mouth. Spyro went still and let his head fall back, gritting his teeth and letting her take him however she wanted him. Though she was roughly forcing herself over him, her pussy was still soft and slick, and he found that the intense pleasure of penetrating those depths overshadowed the mild discomfort of her rapid pace. Cynder gradually returned to her previous motions when his panting grew loud enough to signal that he was close, bringing him near the brink and then slowing down, and repeating the cycle until her own pleasure was near its peak.

At the perfect moment she dropped down and twisted to one side, then the other, Spyro quietly growling as he came within her. She bit her lip, entirely focused on the feeling of his warm seed marking her, the same gift he'd given Ember. It was a euphoric thought to be with Spyro, letting him hump into her with a satisfied expression on his face, even if she hadn't quite finished herself. "AAAAH!" She was hit by a powerful spike of pleasure, looking down to see Spyro's finger roughly circling her clit, the grin on his face growing with mischief. "Fu.. fuuck… fuuuuaaaah! Gods!" At the moment her peak hit he pressed much harder, making her yelp and clench harder around him. He humped up into her more aggressively throughout his release, fingering her clit until her mindless mewling and incoherent words devolved into exhausted breaths.

He hadn't even needed to release Ember's hand to do it, sighing with satisfaction as he laid back and closed his eyes, simply waiting for Cynder to catch her breath. Ember's maw had dropped open in shock, her gaze unfocused. After spending several seconds panting as she sat on Spyro's hips, Cynder regained her bearings, lifting herself and groaning girlishly as Spyro's still throbbing cock gradually slipped out of her. "How? H-how did you… in the middle of…" He chuckled at her impressed and befuddled expression, pulling her down and holding her tightly, Ember already clinging to his other side.

"Just relax for a minute, would you? If you try to comprehend the depths of my awesomeness your brain will melt." Cynder gave a weak groan of false protest, relenting immediately. She rested her chin against Spyro's head, Ember nuzzling Spyro's neck and jaw.

Ember sighed with contentment, stroking Spyro's body affectionately. "You're so amazing, Spyro." He hummed in a pleased affirmative, basking in her praise. "I… I love you."

He stilled, a million flippant jokes and references bouncing around in the back of his mind, but that's all they were: background noise. After being so close to losing her, and all the time he'd spent growing closer to her after that, he just wanted her to stop shaking, to never be nervous over his potential answers again. He turned and locked eyes with her, smiling softly. "And I love you, Ember. It's a great feeling, having someone as caring as you looking out for me. I'm sorry it took me so long to appreciate that." Ember stopped shaking. Her smile relaxed, and she hummed happily, blinking back happy tears before they were shed.

Cynder had lifted her head to watch them, fighting back her emotions when Spyro turned to her with that same earnest look in his eyes. "Oh no. If you think you're going to get me to say any of that sappy, soap opera…" He was patiently stroking her cheek, waiting for her to trail off, and it worked. The way he was looking at her derailed her deflections, only leaving room for the truth.

"You saved me, Cynder. You always found a way to come out on top, no matter what mess you wound up in. You were stunning and you still are. You inspire me, Cynder. I love you." Cynder sniffled, closing her eyes and nuzzling Spyro's hand. She'd always been firmly against adopting the mating practices of other races, sharing many a fun night with like-minded dragons, but they'd never made her feel so loved. This was the level of affection that those crazy marriage enthusiasts insisted a dragon could only experience with a single partner. Here was the proof that Cynder had been right all along, she just hadn't been with the right dragons.

That night Cynder was in excellent company, and she shuddered while taking a steadying breath, no longer afraid to show her emotions. "I thought about you every day, Spyro. I love you, but I guess… I thought you'd moved on. I'm sorry. It was a dorky move, not making a move."

"Having confidence is the majority of the work for any task." She nodded at him, a tear running down her cheek. She'd taught him that phrase, in a time that finally didn't feel long gone. "So, what sparked the new level of interest?" He asked rhetorically, smirking widely. "Was it when I kicked Gnasty's ass? The allure of the fame? My charming smile?"

Ember surprised him by climbing on his chest and adding: "Or was it his cute, firm butt?"

"His butt, obviously." The girls had a giggle at his expense, but he just waited and listened, not at all bothered by what he saw as a compliment anyway.

"I know, right? I just want to squeeze it and snuggle it all day."

"Then do." Spyro said, making Ember freeze up. He brought his thighs together and curled his back enough to lift his butt off the bed, pointing his snout downward. "Give it a few kisses too, while you're down there."

"I… that's… I..." Ember's expression gradually shifted to one of shock and awe, as if the thought that she could actually indulge her little fantasy was a life-altering revelation. They were in Spyro's bed. They had just made love. He had accepted her in the most intimate way possible, and he was still lying there. All she had to do was reach out and _touch_. "O-Okay… Yes! Heehee!" She released a giddy little giggle as she crawled down to his rump, twisting around onto her back and shifting herself until her face was under his lifted backside, her snout pressed against his scales between his round butt-cheeks. She gave his ass a light kiss, slowly nuzzling him and running her hands down his thighs until she was cupping his butt in her gentle grip. He felt even more firm and muscled than he looked, Ember's mind lingering on the strength that implied, on all the weight he could lift, on the power in his legs and the backbreaking force he could put into a swing of his tail. "Mmm." She hummed sweetly as he let his body relax, letting his rear smother her face while she continued groping and nuzzling reverently, worshiping his body. She started to lick between his tail and his ass-cheeks, breathing deeply of his musk. She felt every slight shift of his body as he chuckled, watching her with a wide smile.

"You're deplorable." Cynder said, shaking her head.

"She loves it." Spyro's rebuttal was accented by a muffled, girly giggle, Ember completely absorbed in her task. "Well, if you aren't going to help her," Cynder rolled her eyes, "then let me play with yours." Cynder blushed, biting her lip while she came to terms with what he was asking, not sure if she was ready for what she knew he was about to do. "Cynder, turn around."

"Alright, fine, but you asked for it." She warned, well aware that every male she'd ever met didn't like the idea of being anywhere near their own spunk. "You made quite a mess back there." Regardless, she turned around and shook her round ass in his face, looking back to watch him work.

She was surprised to see that he was mildly confused, though sexual hunger was much more prominent in his expression. "So what?" She'd kept her tail down to shield him slightly from his own smell, but he nosed it up out of the way and took a deep breath, the intermingling of their scents putting a smile on his face. He sighed with pleasure, his warm breath tickling her tailhole pleasantly. "I was pretty sure you already knew that making a mess in you was exactly what I wanted to do." He licked sensually over her pussy lips, collecting his own seed and her juices on his tongue, and then he swallowed the mixture without hesitating, without even thinking he should hesitate. By Cynder's judgment it was the single sexiest thing she'd ever seen and felt in her entire life.

"By the ancestors." She whispered, feeling her body responding to his touch. His fingers sunk deeply into her supple ass as he squished it in his hands, following Ember's example and licking her tail where it met her rump. Ember's gradual, indulgent explorations were inspiring his own, and while her reverent touch made his second afterglow pleasant and warm, his own teasing over Cynder made her hips quake with obvious desire. Spyro knew from his recent collection of literotica and foreign pornography that females could handle several orgasms in a row and enjoy the onslaught immensely, and he was eager to confirm that fact with first-hand experience.

He reconsidered his priorities when he heard a quiet grumble emanating from Ember's stomach, lifting his rear again to get a look at her face. She tried to hide behind his hips, clearly embarrassed, but he just chuckled. "Alright, I get the message."

"I'm sorry. It was such a long flight, and we skipped dinner to come straight here..."

"Say no more, sweetheart. Who wants lamb chops?" They were far from finished, but a break for a warm meal was a pleasant thought. The three of them stretched and twisted on the bed, brushing against each other several times before finally dropping from the bed to begin the short walk to Spyro's kitchen.


	4. Power Trip

The moment the trio of dragons left the bed they began to feel the energy born from sexual excitement waning. Their long day was catching up to them, and by the time Spyro finished hastily cooking a platter of sheep meat and dropping it on a low table they all took their fill without much discussion or thought. Spyro kept the lights dimmed to protect their eyes, and they yawned as they finished their filling, bland meal. They quickly retreated to the safety and comfort of the bed they'd _broken in_ earlier in the evening, Spyro walking around the room and dousing the fire-light with his water breath.

Once he'd finished with his little task, Spyro walked tiredly to the bed, looking it over to see his two lovers cuddled together near the middle. Cynder held Ember possessively, stroking her back and mumbling praise so quietly that she may have been sleep-talking for all Spyro knew. When he clambered up to join them she groggily raised her head, Ember still breathing softly beneath her. "Come over here, Spyro. Get in the middle. I wanna smell you all night." She slid over to make room for him, and after giving her a quick kiss on the cheek he laid on his back in the already warmed spot. Though she still hadn't opened her eyes, Ember responded to his presence, and while Spyro held his girls close they cuddled into his sides. Ember on his left, Cynder on his right, their supple thighs enveloping each of his, the two of them pressing their faces together on his chest, and smiles on all their faces. When he closed his eyes and laid his head back he began to drift off into the realm of dreams swiftly. They hadn't had the presence of mind to bother with the blanket and sheets, but it didn't matter: they didn't need them.

Then, Spyro had the best night's sleep he'd had in years.

* * *

"Hows it goin', Rock? Did the book move?" High Five flittered over to his tall, muscular friend, noting that he actually looked genuinely worried. It wasn't an expression Rock usually had, as he was almost always certain he could end up on top of a situation, so the sight was quite concerning for High Five. "Hey, what's eatin' you? This simple job can't be giving ya trouble."

"It's nothing." Rock sighed, looking down at his claws. "I've just been thinking about what the boss said."

"Boss Hoss got ya down? What for?"

"I was about to tell you 'what for,' if you'd just listen." High Five held up his hands in defensive surrender, backing up a step. Rock was clearly tired and agitated, but he managed to calm himself with a few deep breaths. "It's what he said about Spyro. How much money he can easily get him to pay for the book."

"I mean, that's good for us though, right? More money for the gang is more drugs for the gang. More parties, more fun nights..." High Five trailed off, frowning to himself. "At least a hundred thousand, he said."

"Spyro cares about the rest of us. He's risked his life to keep us safe. All dragonkind owes him a debt of gratitude that no sum of money can repay." Rock shook his head slowly, stewing in quiet rage and melancholy. "It's one thing to ignore what Spyro has done for us. It's another thing entirely to use his compassion to extort him for money. Extorting such nobility is the absolute height of dishonor. Hoss doesn't want what the book is worth. He wants a bite of Spyro's hoard. The way he plans to get it is so disrespectful that it will tarnish the name of the Mountain Crackers for centuries." High Five placed a sympathetic hand on Rock's shoulder, and the larger dragon smiled sadly. "What are we going to do, Fives?"

"You're going to get some sleep. It's my turn to watch this thing. We'll figure this mess out in the morning, when our heads are clearer." Rock couldn't argue with that logic, nodding his assent before leaving. Left alone with the book, High Five decided he should familiarize himself with what all the fuss was about, opening the tome to glance through its pages. He didn't understand most of it, symbols he barely recognized arranged in ways he didn't expect, but the common script that explained the purposes of the spells was very clear. He didn't know the difference between a standard teleport and a shadow teleport, but he was under the distinct impression that everyone was overreacting about this thing. He was staring at a diagram for some sort of summoning circle when his mind started to wander. _I should pluck out my father's eyes for that comment about kangaroo strippers_. He thought ponderously. _I know where the bastard sleeps, and I bet his meat tastes nice_. He was distracted by a banging noise in another room, looking up for long enough to start feeling disgusted with his recent thoughts.

"Jeez, Fives, way to be a morbid freak." He muttered to himself, wondering if he should invest in a psychiatrist just for that one thought. When he looked back down at the book he suddenly felt that it was a great idea again. His father had it coming anyway, accusing him of being a 'roo fucker. With exceedingly more effort than it really should have taken, High Five forced the book shut and tossed it back on its red velvet pillow, lowering himself to the floor and clutching his head. "What the actual fuck was that?" Maybe he could just watch the space _around_ the book rather than the tome itself. He began to wonder if it would be better if the book really was stolen. The thought brought a grin to his face. He could tell the others in the morning. "We've beaten you, you weird-ass thing. You just don't know it yet."

* * *

Spyro woke before the sun had risen, squinting in the dark, trying to remember his mildly distressing dream. After a short moment he decided it didn't matter. He had terrible nightmares often, sometimes prophetic ones, so he had a lot of practice ignoring them. Fretting about problems before they showed up was how other dragons drove themselves mad much of the time, and Spyro had other things on his mind. He laid his head back down, letting the warmth of his lovers carry him to a restful half-sleep. During the sunrise he remained where he lay, no natural beauty of the landscape able to compete with the two beauties in his bed.

The feeling of Cynder nuzzling his hips gradually brought Spyro back to full consciousness, Ember still half-asleep and clinging to his left side. "I see Ember isn't the only one who likes putting her face down there." He whispered, smirking down at Cynder. She looked so cute with her face at his crotch that he felt the urge to pet her, so he did, running his hand over her head. Some of his cum was still stained on her scales, since they'd yet to bathe after their recent activities, and he planned to make her a lot dirtier before she cleaned herself again. She responded to his touch with a soft coo, lifting her head into his stroking hand.

"Oh Spyro..." Cynder reached up and held his wrist, and he let her pull his hand down, giving him a sultry look. "Do you know what you should do with all this space, Spyro?" Ember started to stir, glancing down to see Cynder sensually kissing Spyro's hand. "You should throw a zeroes party."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea. But they should definitely have to give me something to get in. That'll be fun." Cynder shook her head, laughing quietly. "What's so funny?" He didn't seem concerned; if anything his cocky smirk had grown.

"Nothing, it's just," she kissed his hand again, "what could they possibly give you?"

"I like what you're giving me right now." She blushed and he straightened his fingers, his claw between her lips. "Suck." It was a simple command and she obeyed, letting his finger slip into her maw and suckling it lewdly. "Yeah, this is a great idea. I'll pay for all the food and a lot of the drinks. They just have to bring extras and suck my fingers to get in." Dragons often stayed in a quadruped posture when moving about, though they had the dexterity to stand upright whenever they needed. Spyro in particular liked to move quickly, so there was a bit of dirt clinging to the scales on his fingers when Cynder started. She wormed her tongue over his scales, tasting the dirt and swallowing it down, cleaning him with her mouth one finger at a time. The smell of his musk spiked to new heights when she was almost finished, and she knew her actions had coaxed his maleness from its sheath. "And it's just zeroes, so none of those old pricks will get to snoop around. An excellent way to break this place in. Glad I thought of it."

Cynder huffed indignantly and let Spyro's last finger pop out, but before she could speak she felt his newly cleaned hand grab one of her horns. "You aren't finished." He firmly shoved her face down until her lips were on the tip of his cock, lustfully staring her down. "Suck." It was still a simple command. Again, she obeyed. Cynder parted her soft, supple lips just enough for him to glide up into her maw, working her tongue along his ridges, a constant pressure from the horn he held urging her to go lower. She let out a muffled moan that sent vibrations through his cock when his tip began to penetrate her throat, her eyes rolling up as she focused on suppressing her gag reflex. She'd done something like this before, but Spyro was bigger and more insistent, her throat feeling uncomfortably stretched by the time her chin reached his balls. "Good girl." The praise made her feel strangely warm, his hand going back to petting her after he'd pushed her all the way down, letting her adjust to having him in her throat. His girth made her feel so deliciously _full_ , and every throb of his cock stretched her just a bit more, his cockhead blocking off her sinuses. She'd have to lift herself to breathe, but she waited as long as she could, swallowing over him and sucking tightly, listening to his approving grunts.

Spyro hissed in mild shock when Cynder started bobbing her head over him, her tongue licking between his ridges on her way up and straightening to guide him back into her throat when she lowered herself, taking all of him each time. He saw Ember watching Cynder training herself to suck his dick with an envious glint in her eyes, so he kissed her cheek to get her attention and whispered. "You aren't content to just watch, are you?" She shook her head, biting her lip. "Then get down there and help her out, Missy." She didn't need any further prompting, crawling down to his hips and getting a closer look at the action. She saw Cynder's drool trickling down to Spyro's balls and knew exactly what she wanted to do, dipping her head down below Cynder and giving Spyro's exposed testes an experimental kiss. She heard him gasp and felt his hand petting her back, encouraging her to go further, licking his sack while Cynder slurped on his dick. He was warmer than she expected, and when she lifted his package with her tongue, letting his balls slip into her mouth and suckling them, she felt a gentle heat spreading through her maw.

They felt Spyro start to move his hips, giving slow, relaxed thrusts and setting his hands on their heads, Cynder releasing the occasional muffled gag when his cock prodded into a sensitive spot. Ember groaned as the base of his cock bumped her snout, his balls sliding forward and back along her tongue while he fucked Cynder's face, her tail hiking with arousal. She wanted to do more for him, lifting a hand to his foot and sliding her fingers between his toes, and he curled them with pleasure over her grip, her other hand stroking up and down his tail. "Yes." He moaned, panting and watching them with lust-filled eyes. "Yesss." Cynder had to place her hands on either side of him as he started thrusting faster, gripping two of her horns to hold her steady and humping her face at an eager, but measured pace. She had just enough time to breathe through her snout between thrusts, but the new speed made Ember's position awkward and she had to pull away a little. She started nuzzling his balls instead, and felt her lips press against something she hadn't considered before: his tailhole.

Ember paused, but her hesitation didn't last long, and soon she had plunged her tongue into him, slowly digging her way past the lips of his vent. Spyro dug his claws into Cynder's horns, gasping louder with widened eyes. He looked her over, trying to form the words he'd need to make her stop, but after getting a good look at her, he couldn't bring himself to really speak those words. She was so engrossed in him, squeezing his foot gently whenever her tongue made his toes curl, searching for the most sensitive spots, and soon she found them. Whenever her tongue slid in a little further he felt his cock throb in Cynder's mouth. He was glad her dedication had kept him distracted long enough for her tongue to make him squirm, because he didn't want her to stop anymore, groaning as a shiver ran up his spine. "Fuck yes!" After taking a breather during his distracted state, Cynder went back to work, already addicted to the strong taste of his cock, and reveling in his thickness when he speared her throat. She took him to the base and started twisting her face from one side to the other and back, letting him take her throat as thoroughly as she'd given her pussy the previous night, her neck rubbing against Ember's horns below.

Spyro seemed happy with Cynder's increasing enthusiasm, going back to petting her and Ember and allowing them to pleasure him as they saw fit. The combination of Ember's exploring tongue and Cynder's tight throat was too intense for him to focus, and too wonderful for him to bother interfering with in the first place. He took a deep, steadying breath, and then sighed, laying back and stretching out his wings and arms. "This is the best wake-up call ever." He muttered, arcing his back and lifting his hips, closing his eyes and just feeling them, Cynder bobbing and twisting over him, and Ember's tongue able to lick slower and deeper as he relaxed. Cynder was once again surprised by his stamina, slipping her fingers into her own pussy to take advantage of the erotic sensation of sucking him off. Ember was making such happy noises while she drooled over Spyro's ass that Cynder began to wonder what it tasted like. She smirked around her mouthful; wondering was for people who couldn't indulge themselves.

With a wet _pop_ Cynder left Spyro's dick, admiring it as it glistened with her saliva, taking big gulps of air to recover. Spyro caught her staring longer than she intended to, but said nothing, just smirking confidently at her and placing his hands behind his head. She flicked her clit when he looked at her that way, his smugness as enticing as his musk. Gradually, Ember fluttered her lashes until her eyes were fully opened, admiring Spyro's girth from her position beneath it. Cynder tapped her on the head and asked, "Mind switching?"

"No, I don't mind at all." The words seemed so simple and inadequate for what she was agreeing to, but Cynder accepted the answer casually, diving her tongue into Spyro and slurping up Ember's spit, moaning her approval. Spyro looked as eager as Ember felt, the world seeming to move in slow-motion as she closed her lips over him and tentatively pressed her tongue against his tip. "Mmmm!" His taste set her mind ablaze with unrestrained lust, and she sucked hard on her way down, working her tongue up and down frantically, embracing him as tightly as her mouth could. The constant pleasure finally seemed to be catching up with Spyro, and he slowly sat back up to place a hand on Ember's head, encouraging her. She was a bit smaller than Cynder, and had a lot less practice, so when his tip prodded her throat she gagged over him, sending a jolt of pleasure through his body. She tried to take him again, but her body shook as her throat violently rejected the intrusion, an impulse she couldn't control causing her head to lift, and then the source of that wonderful taste was gone from her maw.

"Wow, take it easy." Spyro was stroking her cheek, looking concerned, and Cynder had lifted her head to ensure she was alright.

"I can't. I can't get it in. I keep choking."

Cynder gave her a pat on the back. "Don't worry about it. You'll get better. I'll get you a dildo to practice on." That made Spyro snicker, but Ember shook her head, giving him an intense, determined look.

"Force it in, please." Her initial request was firm, but the 'please' that followed dripped with desperation, the sound of her voice as she said it enough to make him throb with pleasure. Spyro adjusted his stance, planting his feet on the bed and studying her for a moment.

Then, he smiled. "Squeeze my feet if you need me to stop." She didn't respond with words, taking him back into her mouth and sitting on her haunches. Her eagerness enticed him into action, Cynder watching closely as he grabbed Ember's horns, Cynder digging her fingers into herself more roughly. _"_ _Glk..."_ Ember made a wet, strangling noise when he forced her down and shoved his throbbing cock past her struggling throat, and then she choked again, and again, her neck heaving and her eyes starting to tear up. He held her there and grit his teeth, trying to hold on in spite of the euphoric sensation and the sensual attention he'd already received that morning, trying to focus on the feeling he expected to come at any moment. He pulsed inside her roughly stretched throat, waiting for her hands to squeeze his feet, but she didn't. She was taking it. "Okay then." He muttered, groaning and pushing down, more of his ridges popping into her throat until he was finally buried all the way.

" _Mmm..."_ Gradually Ember's body succumbed to what her mind wanted, the force behind his penetration dominating her tight throat, the strength of her impulsive gags weakening until they were pathetic little swallows that made him sigh with pleasure. He removed his hands from her horns slowly, and she had no trouble keeping herself down without his help. "That's my girl." She released a happy moan in response, and he slid his hands down her back until he was firmly gripping her ass to give himself plenty of leverage, giving her backside a firm kiss before really getting started. "Hold on tight." She was surrounded by him, his thighs on either side of her face and his belly pressing into her horns, and his cock gliding along her tongue as he pulled back for his first thrust. She choked weakly when he slammed into her, but she was trapped right where they both wanted her, his groin hitting her snout and his balls slapping her chin, still wet from her earlier attentions.

Spyro knew that Ember could signal any genuine distress instantly, so he could enjoy letting himself go without worrying about her. Her heart-shaped ruby necklace bounced against her chest as he started to thrust rapidly, grunting every time from the intensity with which her throat gripped him and digging his claws into her plump butt. Every weak gag or flutter of her wings that would have drawn his concern otherwise simply encouraged him to fuck her face harder, because she was enjoying the rough treatment as much as he was. The fact that she gained such pleasure from submitting to him so thoroughly made the signs of her surrender intensely erotic for him and he growled in approval, his wings fanning out in a display of dominance. Her throat gave one last convulsion, and after that his next few thrusts met only the resistance of her natural tightness. Her happy squeal came out rather quiet when muffled by his dick, but the joy in that sound followed by her enthusiastic licking and sucking was too much for him to resist any longer. He buried himself deep, invading her throat even further with his seed while he hugged her rump and lightly bit the base of her tail. After the first few shots he started to pull back, coating the back of her sinuses on his way back to her mouth, the remainder of his heavy load filling her maw, a few trickles dribbling down her chin and along the sides of her jaw.

Spyro stepped back and sat down in front of Ember, greeted by the sight of Ember trembling with arousal and Cynder casually fingering herself, a stain of feminine juices forming beneath her. "What a lovely performance." She said, slithering over to Ember's side. "You should complete it with some proud flair. Open your mouth a little. Let's see the mess Spyro made." Spyro rolled his eyes, but after seeing pools of his cum on Ember's tongue with strands stretching up to her inner cheeks and beads of sperm sliding down her teeth and settling on her gums, he decided Cynder had the right idea. He knew he'd revisit that sight many times in his dreams. Cynder's soft hum seemed to indicate that she would too. "Now close those lips and swallow it all down, like a good girl. Then show us how clean you are afterward." Ember was blushing intensely as she obeyed, taking three big, gulping swallows before feeling around her maw with her tongue, swallowing once more, and then showing off her clean mouth. Spyro could see the back of her throat clearly, the sunlight illuminating her through the broad window and making her saliva glisten. Cynder took a glance at Spyro's crotch before continuing, noting that he was receding into his slit. "She's so well behaved. I'd love to have a turn with her, if you need time to recover."

"Ha! Good one." Cynder fluttered her lashes in neutral reaction to that. She hadn't been joking, and one of the reasons she'd been interested in bedding with another dragoness in the first place was that males often needed time before they could go again. Spyro, however, didn't seem to care that he'd already been satisfied, stroking Ember's cheek and kissing her lips. "That was wonderful, Ember. You deserve a reward."

"Oh, thank you, Spyro! Um… what sort of reward?" She asked, twiddling her fingers.

"You'll see." He casually turned around and lazily laid on his side, looking back at her and nodding to himself after judging her position. "Just be sure to pass it on to Cynder. She did pretty good too."

Cynder huffed and Ember tilted her head in confusion. "What does tha- OOOOH GODS!" Ember felt a smooth, hard presence penetrate her needy pussy, a spiraling pattern on the object stimulating her in waves, and the way it shifted up and down so powerfully left her breathless. She looked down at herself, her brain slowly catching up with what was happening. It was the tip of Spyro's tail. He was fucking her with his strong, muscular tail. "Fuuuuaaaaauugh. Nnnn..." Everything she'd done with Spyro moments ago had been focused on his pleasure, her own needs completely ignored while in the throes of her devotion, so it all felt like nigh unbearable foreplay to her soaked entrance. Spyro could have sent her into convulsions of pleasure with a mere tap of his finger, but he was doing so much more than that. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell over onto her side, gasping and moaning in the same breaths, the only thing on her mind being the feelings emanating from her groin.

Ember vaguely felt Cynder positioning her tail to curve upward, the lithe dragoness twisting and humping down to work Ember's bulbous, heart-shaped tail-tip into her cunt, groaning on her way down. Ember managed to shift her tail back and forth a little, but she didn't have Spyro's strength and was distracted by her own pleasure, Cynder taking the lead again with carefully practiced hip swaying. They could have gone on like that for half an hour or only a few minutes from Ember's perspective, as she lost all sense of time and gave in to primal passion, humping over Spyro's tail and sliding hers up into Cynder with the same motion. Then she humped again, bringing that tail-tip deeper, and deeper, and deeper still until it reached far enough to slam down into that perfect spot, _"Aaaaauuhnnn..."_ and it left her reeling. She saw spots for a good long while, and by the time she could see clearly there was Spyro, giving her a sympathetic look, and Cynder behind him, snickering. Laughing with a smug grin. "Wow. I really thought she'd last longer than that."

"You smug bitch!" Spyro pulled his head out of the way on reflex as Ember jumped past him and tackled Cynder onto her back.

"Wow." This time it wasn't sarcastic, Ember's hands pressing roughly down on Cynder's rounded chest and pinning her to the bed. "You're stronger than you look." It was almost comical, the small, pink dragoness with her big heart-shaped ruby dangling down and an agitated expression on her face, pinning the larger, darker dragoness with several horns and knives on her wings.

"Fuck you." Ember's voice held more lust than anger, but her eyes burned with fury as she pushed her face into Cynder's, growling down at her. Cynder started to lift her arms to push Ember off, but she felt Spyro grab her wrists and pull her arms down above her head.

She looked back up at him in surprise, but he just smirked as he lowered his face and whispered in her ear. "Hold on, now. I wanna see what she does to you."

"You sneaky little sh- Mmmff!" Ember shoved her tongue down into Cynder's mouth, and pushing it back out proved more difficult than she expected, but she managed it, smirking and growling at Ember. Then she squealed when Ember shoved her knee against her crotch and felt her maw being invaded again. She put up less of a fight that time, both of them tasting Spyro in the other's maw. Cynder tried to lift her arms again but Spyro's grip on her wrists held firm, and the helpless feeling that followed made her clit wink. Then she felt Ember's foot-paw settle on her slit, applying a slight pressure that left Cynder shivering.

Ember pulled away after she was satisfied with her taste, leering down at Cynder triumphantly. "You're mine, now." Her voice had regained it's sweetness, but there was a dark, dominating intent behind it, and she started to put more of her weight on Cynder's cunny, her toes shifting and curling to tease Cynder. Then more weight, enough to hurt, her middle claw sinking in past Cynder's snatch, her fluids coating Ember's toes. Ember would let up a little and then slowly press back down, making Cynder grunt and gasp from the waves of pressure assaulting her crotch. The constant rhythm eroded Cynder's desire to regain control, and when Ember kissed her again, long and hard, she didn't fight back at all, moaning into Ember's mouth and suckling her sweet tongue submissively. When Ember picked up the pace with her foot she started kissing down Cynder's neck, occasionally nipping and licking near the choker.

"Ha ha ha..." Spyro laughed quietly and huskily in Cynder's ear, speaking softly and confidently. "You know we'd let you up if you asked, but you won't ask, because you want this." Cynder groaned weakly, shaking her head in protest. She didn't even realize that she was smiling, ruining her façade of resistance. "Don't deny it. You get off on power plays like this, don't you?" Cynder couldn't muster up a response, Ember having picked up the pace, taking all of her focus. Ember was biting Cynder's shoulder, shoving her foot against Cynder so swiftly that Cynder's whole body rocked to Ember's rhythm. She was so close that the pleasure hurt, Ember's little growl making her squirm, but she could still resist and turn things around if she really wanted to. She felt Spyro's face nuzzle closer, whispering one last thing, another simple command. _"Cum."_ Immediately she lost all sense of composure, screaming in ecstasy and arcing her back, her thighs locking on Ember's waist while she rode out her orgasm, every press of Ember's foot making her squeal louder and louder until she lost her voice, collapsing into a blissful afterglow. Ember basked in the feeling of dominance, continuing to press her foot down roughly until the clenching pussy beneath her toes stopped squirting.

Cynder heard Ember giggling to herself as she settled down beside her, stretching in preparation for the day ahead and thoroughly pleased with herself. Cynder's hips shook when she felt her pussy being licked, and she looked down to see Spyro gripping her inner thighs, tasting the result of Ember's efforts. "You're insatiable."

"Yep." He smiled and licked her again, taking a deep whiff of her scent. "Who wouldn't be with you two around?"

"Hehe..." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, sighing wistfully. "We need to get you some toys, Spyro. Then we could have some real fun together. Really get into the kinky stuff, ya know? Shocking myself is one thing, but it'd be even better with someone else in control of it."

Spyro tilted his head slightly, thoughtfully adjusting his grip on her thighs and lifting his face away from her. "What, you mean like this?" That statement gave Cynder pause, but before she could respond she felt it. Electric shocks pulsed through her from her thighs, her body twitching and shaking and her jaw locked open. None of her usual feigned indifference could be maintained as she laid there and trembled with electric energy, open and inviting. When it stopped she was gasping desperately, her afterglow having been swept away by newly mounting need, her pussy clenching on nothing as a tingle ran through it.

Cynder stared at him and his self-satisfied smirk with an open maw, noticing Ember looking between the two of them, entirely stupefied. "How!?"

"Moneybags showed me some of those units before, trying to sell them to me. I'm pretty sure that was around most of their higher settings. Want me to go a bit lower next time?" She shook her head, but not in answer. She simply had no idea what to make of what she was seeing, but her body didn't have any such hangups. "Alright then, you asked for it." Her limbs locked up again, but she was slightly more ready for it this time, feeling electric shocks bloom along Spyro's fingers and then zap into her thighs. He gradually lowered the intensity until she could take gasping breaths, and in the next few seconds she came hard. He lowered his face and opened his mouth in front of her squirting pussy, collecting her delicious juices and swallowing them, licking his lips.

"H-how?" She repeated, a single happy tear running down her cheek. "No guy has ever stuck around to use the shockers on me."

"And now no guy will, because you have me, and I don't need one." She released a happy little laugh, but shook her head, still clearly confused. "Dragon-kata, Cynder." Then it all started to make sense. Dragon-kata was both martial and magical, all of its Masters learning deeper control over their inner magic than non-practitioners. A Master of Dragon-kata could manipulate their element very intimately, channeling it into their physical strikes, or applying it weakly to incapacitate delicate targets. Or, perhaps, they could even use their element safely, in very weak doses, channeling it through their bodies for sensual purposes. Spyro was not only a Master of Dragon-kata, but also of every natural element.

Cynder glanced at Ember, and they spoke without words. They'd both come to the same conclusion. "Ember gets a pass because she's pretty new at this, but didn't you notice that my magnificent package was quite a bit warmer than those of less talented dragons? Guess I wouldn't really know for certain, but I'm confident that it's true. Fire magic can do wonderful things when applied in tiny doses. Of course, you're so hot-headed that I've been wondering if you could use some cooling off."

"By the Gods."

"No, Cynder, don't swear by them." Spyro's grin turned predatory, his finger moving slowly toward Cynder's still twitching cunt. His hand looked just like it always did, but she could feel herself getting colder as he moved. "Swear by me." With the smallest application of ice magic he pressed his finger against her clit, the sudden chill making her toes curl and her legs come together, and it was too much too fast and too soon after her last climax for her to resist it. She had barely come down from her last high before he'd lifted her to another one.

"Oh Spyro!" She came again, her vision unfocused and her mind numb. She wasn't even sure how many times she'd peaked in the last hour.

"Ah, so some girls _can_ just keep going. Good to know." Cynder suddenly felt trickles of water flowing over her belly-plates, all the way up her body until Spyro's fingers were in front of her lips again, dripping with magical water. "I'm sure you're dehydrated after serving up all that delicious pussy juice. Here, have a drink." His fingers slid past her lips and she began to suckle them again, but this time the act was rejuvenating. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was until the cool water was being gulped down her sore throat, easing the tension that had built up there from the shocks. "It's funny to think about, but this water exists because of my magic, using so little of it that I don't even feel it leaving me. It's as if you're drinking a little of my soul, but I'm never gonna run out." He heard Ember gasp in disbelief beside him, turning to her while Cynder kept suckling away, her expression empty and her body thoroughly spent.

"Do you want some too, Ember? From another source, maybe?" Ember nodded as she approached, unable to form words. "Kiss me." She did, letting his tongue slip into her mouth and explore her again. He was taller than her, so when he started sliding his wet tongue back and forth, the magical water that flowed from it traveled down her maw, and she swallowed it as it came. Aside from the taste of his saliva it was the purest water she'd ever drank. Gradually his tongue stilled as she suckled more tightly, drinking down everything he gave her with relentless enthusiasm. The magical nature of the water left her throat tingling when he finally pulled away and kissed her cheek. Eventually he'd started to walk toward the exit, but she was in such a euphoric haze that her mind didn't really catch up with that until he spanked her ass on his way off the bed, causing her to yelp and collapse forward onto Cynder's belly.

"Damn that felt _good!_ Why didn't I start this sex stuff sooner?" He shook his head at himself as he opened the door, looking back at the exhausted dragonesses. "I'll start working on breakfast. You two just catch your breath for awhile."

Ember didn't know how long she laid there regaining her senses, but she did know that once she had, Cynder was still taking slow, heavy breaths while staring at the ceiling. Ember took the extra time to sit and think, considering her options. Some dragons would say that she was lucky to have parents who cared about her; though, others would say she'd been coddled for too long, and that she should have striven out fully into the social environment of her peers years ago. She'd been thinking about the possibility of moving in with Spyro since he'd showed her the sheer size of his home the previous day. After he'd confessed his mutual feelings and after everything he'd done that morning Ember wasn't willing to risk losing him again. She'd have to make her move soon.

Cynder had her own loyalties to consider. She was a well-respected member of the Knifetails, and didn't fancy the idea of giving up everything that entailed. Spyro wasn't demanding anything of her, so she could potentially go on being with him romantically and still remain a Knifetail, but she wasn't the leader of her gang, and if she ever found them in conflict with Spyro then she didn't know what she'd do. It was certainly suicidal to fight Spyro, so she could just remove herself from such conflicts with a fairly solid _self-preservation_ excuse, but what if he asked for her help? She shook her head at herself, deciding not to worry about that unless a conflict really did arise. Spyro had managed to maintain good relations with most gangs in the core worlds and there was no reason to suspect that that would change. "Ember? Could you help me up?"

"Sure." Ember grabbed Cynder's hand and pulled her into an upright sitting position, Cynder wincing and rubbing her back immediately afterward.

"By Spyro, I'm sore." Ember snorted, suppressing a snicker, but Cynder didn't seem to know why for a good half-minute. Then realization dawned and her eyes widened. "By _Io_ , I meant. Slip… slip of the tongue."

"Well he _did_ tell you to swear by him." Ember laughed, Cynder blushing with embarrassment. "You know he's not _actually_ a God, right?"

"You've read the old texts, haven't you?" Ember tilted her head in confusion, but Cynder just smiled, thinking back to her memories of reading the uncensored accounts of Tiamat's adventures in the Artisan library. She looked into Ember's eyes directly and said: "He may not be a God, but he sure fucks like one."


	5. Collision Course

As impressive as the rest of the structure was, Ember was massively disappointed in Spyro's kitchen. Sure, it had brand new, top-of-the-line appliances and enough storage space in the walk-in fridge, freezer, and pantry to hold the supplies of a small army, but the spices were so sparse as to not even exist. Salt and pepper was all she could find, and in her scouring of the cabinets she found that he didn't have any dishes worth getting excited over, or even passably pretty plain ones. The space had been designed to function at the highest possible level, but it just wasn't being used. As a result the lamb was just as bland as it had been the previous night, but neither Spyro nor Cynder seemed to mind at all. There was a large, metal platter piled with meat that could be generously called _medium-well_ , if one ignored the inconsistency of the cooking. The oven must have been filled slightly above capacity for that to happen, and the dragons had no issue tearing through the meat with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws, but Ember felt there were certain principles that ought to be upheld, especially since she was now fully awake whilst witnessing such a travesty.

Ember cleared her throat loudly, looking in Spyro's direction with an irritated expression. He turned and glanced at just how little she'd eaten before giving her his full attention, pushing his cut of a sheep's thigh aside. "What's up?" She felt her wings twitching, suppressing a growl.

"I do not wish to insult you, Spyro, but I must put voice to my concerns." Ember remembered her etiquette classes, holding a bold posture with her chest to convey her determination to be heard, but keeping her wings below Spyro's to show that she wasn't questioning his dominance.

"Why are you talking like that?" Apparently he didn't care about etiquette, even though she knew he'd learned all about it from the Elders.

"I'm… trying to open a dialogue?" She seemed like she was questioning her words as she spoke them, her perfectly practiced posture falling apart. Cynder glanced at her with sympathy, deciding to save her teasing for another time.

"Just say what's on your mind then." He said, smiling patiently. "And insult away. I'm sure I can take it."

Ember growled in frustration and slammed her hand down on the low table that held the platter, causing clumps of meat near the top of the half-eaten mound to tumble in Cynder's direction, some of it falling in her lap. "Hey, watch it!"

"This food is terrible!" Were she speaking to most any other dragon, Ember would have feared some retaliation for her brazen insult, but Spyro just nodded and hummed his agreement, still smiling. "It would be a disgrace at any dragon's table, much less yours! You're the savior of the realms, by Io, and this trash isn't good enough!"

"Ouch, Ember, jeez." Spyro gripped his chest with his claws, striking a dramatic pose and not looking genuinely bothered in the least. "I knew I was bad, but 'trash'? Yikes."

"How do you live like this? I'd go insane eating this stuff every day."

Spyro gave a thoughtful hum, nodding his assent. "Probably. There aren't any restaurants out here yet because there's no real incentive for others to move to my world, but I spend most of my time out anyway. It's not like I have any trouble buying as I go. The interest I collect from my bank is enough to live off of on its own."

"So, wait, you mostly eat _fast food_!?" He nodded, far too casually in her opinion. "This is a joke, right?" Ember started looking around almost manically, even checking under the table. "Where's your cook? She's hiding for this prank, right? Well the jig is up! Come out, miss cook!" The other dragons started snickering loudly, trying and failing to suppress their mirth at Ember's antics. Ember finished searching the room again and stared them down, lifting her hips and lowering her chest as if she was ready to gore someone. "This is serious, darn it!"

"So, you think my cook would be a chick, huh?" Ember blushed, but held her stance. Spyro sighed, shaking his head and leaning on the table. "I see what's going on here. Don't think I forgot that comment about this place being too big for one dragon. You wanna live with me, don't ya?"

Ember slowly relaxed her posture, walking back to the table and sighing through her snout. "You suck at this." She said, gesturing to the meat.

"Yes, I believe we've established that."

"I don't. You're better at other stuff, like kicking butt and saving people."

Cynder interjected by adding to the list. "And skateboarding, snowboarding, stunt flying, air racing, ground racing, underwater racing, video gaming, financing, drug smuggling, drug doing, and fucking." Spyro puffed his chest out and smiled broadly, his scales barely hiding his blush. "But yeah, she's right, you can't cook."

"Eh." He shrugged, relaxing his posture again and picking up the platter to clean it off after their rapid, filling, and poorly seasoned meal. In a fluid motion he lifted his chest out of his quadruped posture and stood on only his legs, speaking to Ember on his way to the sink. "You write up a list of everything you need and how much you think it will cost and I'll get it for you. If you stay here then you could have your own room, rent free, and a hefty allowance for your trouble. We wouldn't want to write it up as an official job, though, because I've got a few unlawful demands about the dress-code." He smirked back at her mischievously. "We're definitely getting you a cute apron, but it can't be attached to anything longer than a mini-skirt. It would cover up your best asset and add an extra step to the times I'll fuck you over the counter whenever I want."

If the way Ember shivered and bit her lip was anything to go by then she very much enjoyed the idea, but she still looked hesitant. "I'd love to live with you, Spyro, but I really should talk to my parents about it first."

"Go ahead and talk to them, but I know what you'll decide in the end." He said, lowering back into a quadruped stance and casually walking back to the table.

"Why are you so sure I'll stay here, anyway?"

"It's simple, really." He looked deeply into her eyes, the pure happiness in his expression shining brighter than his jokes could mask. "You love me."

They rubbed their cheeks together and closed their eyes, softly nuzzling. "Yes, I do."

Once they opened their eyes again they saw Cynder gesture toward the door to the den with her head, smiling at them. "So, is that massive screen I saw good for anything, or does it just sit there and look expensive."

"Oh, it works, and the Professor and Drobot built it together. It's 100 inches from corner to corner, and has a 16k resolution paired with a 240 hertz refresh rate that doesn't even exist on the market right now."

Cynder's mouth fell open for a solid minute, the others snickering at her. "Holy fuck, Drobit would be drooling over that thing if he was here."

"Don't get too excited. The market isn't caught up with my hardware yet so we'll just be playing in 4k for the next twenty years or so." Their day had only just started, and they'd have a lot more time together before anyone had to leave.

* * *

The _click-clack_ of hooves on stone sounding out at a two-legged gait marked the visitor to the Dragon Realms as both foreign and unusual to the observant listener. Fauns and satyrs tended to keep to their own lands or else lived in small roaming tribes in the esoteric Faewild, so to see one bothering with a cell phone in the middle of a town would cause a double-take for the dragons she passed. Elora wasn't a typical faun by any stretch, having much of her initial distaste for modern technology eroded over the years, her friendship with a Doctor and inventor showing her all the wonderful things that technology could do. That wasn't even to mention the practical and mundane things it could do, like guiding her to a friend's house with a live map of town. She glanced down at the map on her phone again and took a final turn, once again glad that she found the mute function for the directional prompts.

She looked up at what was apparently Hunter's address, recognizing it immediately as Spyro's old house in town. It had been over a year since her last visit, and she frowned at the thought. She'd allowed herself to be wrapped up in politics for too long, and it was time to reconnect. She adjusted the strap for her pan flute and her bag, both hanging just below her leaf-dress at her hip, and gave the crumpled-up letter she'd been pondering over another look. When she'd gone to see the Professor a few days ago he'd told her about his dragon research paper and all the versions he'd gone through in the past six months, so she'd sneaked her hand into his trash to have a look at one of the old versions on her way out. She'd come away with a rather hastily written letter signed by Spyro and addressed to her, though he'd obviously never meant to actually send it, and she didn't know what to do about it.

The letter itself wasn't the only thing gnawing at her thoughts. The things she'd learned about dragons during her talk with the Professor had changed everything she thought she knew about her young, scaly friend.

 _Three days ago, at the Professor's lab…_

 _Elora stared intensely at the printed diagram in her hand, checking the legend of the document frequently in her attempt to process all the information. "Huh. So that's what dragon dicks look like." Apparently the Professor had been particularly interested in dragon reproduction, so Elora had access to extensive information about their genitalia. From what she was seeing dragons were actually something that wasn't fully reptilian nor fully mammalian. She had assumed dragons were warm-blooded when she saw how active and energetic Spyro was in several different environments, in spite of his outwardly reptilian scales and crest, and dragon genital structure followed that pattern. Dragons had a vertical slit between their thighs that terminated at a horizontal vent, thus appearing similarly to a cloaca from a glance, but internally the vent lead to an anus entirely separate from the reproductive organs, so the correct term for the space beyond the slit was 'sheath' rather than 'cloaca.' The urinary tract was also separate for females, just as with fauns, but unlike satyrs and most other male mammals the male dragons also had a urinary tract separate from their penises, the urethra in the same relative position on their slits as it was for females. She was also surprised to see that a pair of testes would develop at the base of dragon's penis, as shielded as the penis itself prior to arousal, rather than the testes always being exposed as with most mammals. It also seemed that male dragons would develop more, fully internal testes over the course of their lives, and the 4,145 year old subject the Professor had studied had developed four more at that time. The Professor had scribbled several frantic notes about that, theorizing that the first testes to develop served a non-reproductive function, but he didn't have the samples he needed to come to any solid conclusions._

 _Fauns and satyrs were known for their sexual curiosity and promiscuity: there were several songs about it. They would often have many sexual experiences with mere friends for the first half of their 150 year lifespans, settling down with a permanent partner and turning to other pursuits after the age of 70 years. Their modern culture reflected the old in the case of those who sought jobs outside of satyr dominated communities, becoming reproductive biologists or relationship counselors more often than not. Elora often regretted becoming embroiled in realm-spanning politics, and was glad to have something else to think about during her vacation. Dragons were especially fascinating for her, since they'd been mere legend in Avalar during her childhood. As such, and for one other, more personal reason, their reproductive biology had held the majority of her attention during her visit._

" _Your notes say that dragons can't reproduce until they're over 2,000 years old."_

" _That is correct, yes. It's fascinating just how much sooner their sex organs begin to function as you would expect from creatures ready to breed. The equivalent developmental intermediary period in moles only lasts a year or two at most."_

" _Oh?" Elora perked up with interest, setting the diagrams aside and giving the Professor her full attention, though he was still distractedly scribbling something over his notepad. "How early do they start? Twelve hundred years, maybe?"_

" _Goodness no. Twenty-nine, actually."_

Elora had been very aware of Spyro's age of 32 years when she'd learned that, but she didn't want to come off as too eager to learn about him specifically, so she thought taking some notes that the Professor didn't even need any longer would be a good compromise. She got more than she'd expected when she found Spyro's letter, so she'd decided to see what Hunter thought of the whole situation before speaking to Spyro directly. She went ahead and knocked on the door, stuffing the letter back into her bag along with her phone. She wouldn't get anything done just standing around.

Elora was surprised to see Bianca, the rabbit sorceress opening the door, but she shouldn't have been. Hunter had mentioned over text messages that the two were living together by then, but Elora hadn't really thought about it much. "Oh hey, Ellie."

"Elora." She corrected immediately. She hated that nickname.

Bianca rolled her eyes and stepped aside. "Fine, _Elora_ , get in here. How's being a liaison?"

"Well, I always have a headache and no one respects me, but at least we haven't had another civil war yet." Avalar was a chaotic realm with many factions and worlds, none of them dominating like the dragons did in the Dragon Realms. Keeping the peace there meant constant negotiating and compromise. Even during Ripto's takeover the infighting hadn't stopped, and Elora knew it was only a matter of time before another small war started. "How's life in paradise?"

Bianca could easily hear the bitterness that Elora failed to hide, shaking her head on her way to the living room. "It's peaceful." That simple answer was like a sting from a hornet for Elora, but thankfully she had the distraction of seeing Hunter frantically clicking a mouse in front of a computer monitor in the next moment. Their living room was far bigger than it needed to be, and some of the extra space had been dedicated to a pair of computers right next to each other. Bianca's screen showed a forum for Spellcasters. The rabbit had apparently engrossed herself in an argument about dark magic. "Hey, Hunter, guess who just showed up."

"Hang on, guys; I've got a guest." Hunter took off his headset and the attached microphone casually, the faint blaring of curse words and quick planning heard emanating from them.

"That sounds important." Hunter waved a hand dismissively.

"It's not. Just some try-hards' game I got talked into trying. It's been a long time since we've seen you." Hunter awkwardly shuffled his feet while Elora stared at the ground, clasping her hands behind her back just above her tail. Bianca looked between the two as if waiting for them to do something, but they didn't seem inclined to move.

"Okay, well, I'll just let you two catch up then." Bianca slipped back into her seat and immediately started typing furiously, wanting the others to not feel like she was just watching and listening, but not willing to leave her former activity. She could only muster up a smidgen of care for Elora's visit in the first place: they didn't know each other very well. It wasn't long before she'd finished the point she'd wanted to make, posting her lengthy rebuttal to the user _roarin_funderlic_ in defense of shadow magic, as it could have its uses for good. She'd made the point that entirely destroying an element of magic was completely impossible anyway, so it was best to at least know about dark magic for the purposes of self-defense. She was excited to get an immediate response.

 _I know rabbits can't keep it in their pants, but could you suck Red's dick somewhere else? #glkglk #evilapologist_

"That's enough Internet for today." Bianca muttered to herself, huffing and crossing her arms.

" _Hey!"_ She heard a young, male voice scream desperately from the earphones Hunter had been using. _"Hunter! Get back here, damn it! You went AFK in the middle of the forest path!"_

"Oh what the Hell?" Bianca decided to indulge herself, switching to Hunter's seat and slipping on the headset. She hardly noticed that Elora and Hunter had been talking quietly on the couch nearby. "Hey, Hunter is kinda busy right now, but I can fill in for him."

" _Have you ever played Lizard Bleeder?"_ Asked a second, more nasally voice.

"It can't be too hard. How do I cast my spells?"

" _You don't have spells."_ Said the first voice, making Bianca's eye twitch.

"Are you serious right now?"

" _This game is set in a near-future magical bleed event. Spells won't work in this setting. You have to use your enchanted weapons to penetrate the scales of the zombified lizards."_ A lot of what the first voice was saying was being followed by muttered affirmations from the second, but Bianca noticed another player that hadn't said anything yet, their grim-faced cheetah character model taking up the majority of the screen. Bianca turned her eyes to the text chat and saw ' _kick the afk?'_ was the latest message. _"Ignore that guy. He's a random and I'm pretty sure he has voice chat turned off."_

"How do I even play this game? Where's the enemy team?"

" _Oh fuck me, this is gonna take awhile."_

" _We're playing with a newb on the hardest difficulty, Flame. I believe we are screwed this match. Regardless, I can explain the game in great detail if you would like to join us for a second match."_

" _No, Drobit, no! We don't have time for this."_ Bianca heard a violent sound effect ring in her left ear, the healthbar that had been full at the bottom of the screen dipping to less than a quarter of its former glory in one damage tick. _"By the Sea Mother, protect her left side! Now, Hunter's mate-"_

"Bianca." She shook her head, reminded of her initial meeting with Elora that day. "I mean, what do I need to do?"

" _Hit the 'escape' key on your keyboard, click 'options', and tab to keybinds so you can see what everything does really quickly."_

Bianca gulped, swiftly following Flame's instructions. "Won't I get killed while I'm figuring things out?" She asked while navigating through the menus.

" _No."_ Flame replied. _"This is a 'players against environment' game and we're pretty good at it. We can protect you through this horde if you hurry."_

She had taken to playing Massively Multiplayer Online games with Hunter for some casual fun because it wasn't physically demanding like most of his other hobbies, nor as exclusive and esoteric as her magical studies. She knew how to strategize around virtual statistics and move her avatars around efficiently, but the game she'd jumped into was on a whole other level. "I cast spells for a living. I can do this." She squinted at a couple of unassigned functions, perplexed by what seemed to be the game's default setup. "Shouldn't I bind 'Dodge' and 'Jump' to separate keys? Seems weird for them to share the same one, or am I missing something?"

" _That's the spirit. Only filthy casuals use one key for both. Fuck!"_ Bianca saw another, smaller healthbar decrease by a marginal amount in stark contrast to the massive amount Bianca had lost. She quickly recognized it as part of her list of allies. The two icons with speech indicators flashing had the usernames "Flamin_Fools" and "Logicflow". The last icon had the username "xX_gildeddaddy_Xx" floating above it. _"You're the glass cannon with the best precision ranged weapon so stick with me, our tank, and shoot all the specials."_

"Uh… specials?" Bianca asked, beginning to shoot down virtual foes as they approached.

" _There are many enemy units with special abilities that can disable or damage players in unique ways, and many attack from afar."_ Drobit seemed rather casual about the whole affair, as if he really didn't mind losing a match or two. When the enemies were cleared it seemed that Flame wasn't too worried either, but always sounded more committed to victory in the heat of simulated battle.

" _You didn't think it was all just boring lizard zombies, did you? Let's do this!"_

* * *

"So?" Elora asked when Hunter finished reading the letter, the cheetah shaking his head in disappointment. "How do you think I should approach him about this?"

"I think you should forget about it." He crumpled the paper back up and pulled his arm back to chuck it across the room dismissively, but Elora snatched it from his hand before he could finish the toss, looking cross. "Look, he obviously never wanted you to read all that. He was just venting, and just because he had a bad day and wrote something to let off some steam you think you need to..." He trailed off, not sure if Elora really had any plans at all. "What are you gonna do? Tell him not to have feelings? Or give him a pity date or something?"

"You know that's the last thing I would do. I don't want this," she waved the letter around, "to be our relationship for the next few years. I want him to be my friend again when I go back to Avalar." Elora put on a confident front, but Hunter knew she wouldn't be talking to him about it before confronting Spyro if she was really so sure of herself. For a moment Hunter was pulled out of the conversation by a pleasant chime from his phone, so he glanced down at the screen to see the new text message he'd received. _'Guess who isn't a virgin anymore.'_ It was from Spyro. "I know he has a crush on me, and he definitely has had one for awhile, but I didn't think he'd be this _explosive_ about it, you know? The whole point of all this was to let him down easy, but it doesn't seem to be working out how we expected."

"Uh huh." Hunter was barely listening to her, hastily tapping out a reply with his phone hidden by his thigh. ' _Who'd you score with?'_

"Hunter, the phone will still be there later. I need a second opinion on this." Spyro's response was much more enthusiastic. ' _Ember and Cynder at the same time_.' Hunter blinked in surprise, and then another message followed. ' _You haven't met Cynder before, but you're going to now. E-mail me your schedule for the summer. I'm working something out.'_ "What's so important, anyway?"

"Uh, nothing! It's just summer events being updated. Yeah." Elora tilted her head at him, suspicious of his hasty explanation, but she let it be. She had more pressing concerns.

"Look, I know he's older now, and I guess this letter is proof that he still cares about me, but he was just a kid at the time. I need him to understand my reasons for not taking that ride seriously."

"What, the love tunnel thing?" Hunter shook his head, clearly annoyed with her obliviousness. "He doesn't really care about that, trust me. So a dark tunnel with flowing water and soft music put you to sleep, no big deal. Then you decided to bury yourself in your work, and that was a big deal. We've been through a lot without your help, you know."

Elora crossed her arms and leaned back, unimpressed. "My work was keeping Avalar from becoming a problem again. You were born there; did you already forget what it's like? I came here for a little advice, not whatever this is."

Hunter closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'm sorry. It's just that Spyro has been kind of down on himself lately, even after everything he's done, and I'm pretty sure you know why."

"You know exactly why I pushed him away. You agreed with me. Don't dare try to pretend you didn't now." Hunter sighed and slumped back into the couch; the topic they were approaching was rather unpleasant. "Just imagine it, Hunter. Living for one hundred thousand lonely years after the love of your life has died. How would you feel, visiting Bianca's grave for that long? I'm just a faun." Elora couldn't keep herself composed, the thought of all the pain Spyro would go through if she ever indulged her desire to be with him somehow worse than the thought that her life would end. She had to blink back tears, her arms lowering and her hands shaking. "I won't last long enough to love a dragon."

"He'll be alright, Elora." Hunter opened an arm to Elora and she accepted the offer, crying silently into his shoulder. "Maybe he'll change when we pass, but he'll learn to cope. Then he'll be ready when it happens again."

"And again and again!"

"I know. I know." Hunter held her gently while she let out her sadness, her crying controlled and silent. She had a lot of practice masking her emotions in her stressful line of work, so her little fit didn't last long. He patiently patted her back, giving her time to compose herself.

Elora shook her head against his shoulder, sniffling. "I'm sorry for the waterworks. I'm being stupid. It's just that, he was a kid before, at least physically, so I was really just planning to let him down easy _later_. But I just found out that he's already old enough so it's all just hitting me at once." She lifted her face from his shoulder, sitting up properly and looking him in the eyes. "Why can't the other dragons love him? They live just as long, and he's done enough for them. You'd think with the way the news builds him up all the time and those weird fan groups that at least one desperate fan would have asked him out by now." One of her ears flicked as she looked to the side and squinted her eyes, thinking of the girl that she'd seen hanging around with Spyro lately. "I thought for sure that Ember would have done it, but then she went off with some random armadillo instead. I guess she comes back to visit often these days, but I just don't want him to be lonely for the rest of his life. He needs at least one of them to be more than a friend."

Hunter cringed, barely keeping his claws from extending into Elora's back, and she picked up on his more tense posture. She slowly backed further away until his arm dropped back to his side and looked him in the eyes, seeing the nervousness he tried to hide behind a neutral expression. "What if they had asked him out? I mean, I haven't seen Bandit around with Ember for a couple years at least, and uh… I mean, would you be okay with that?"

"I'm too late." Elora closed her eyes and lowered her head, smiling sadly. "Good. Now he'll be happy."

"But you won't be. You hate your job, and you love Spyro." Elora looked up at Hunter mournfully, her ears flicked back in sadness. "His crush on you was never one-way, was it?"

"It was at first." She held her left arm in her right hand and looked away, shielding herself. "It took me awhile to warm up to him, but that's what it felt like. Warm and friendly, kinder than he gives himself credit for. By the time I knew what I wanted I also knew a lot more about dragons. I knew I couldn't be with him before I talked to you about it."

"Yeah, but when we agreed that you needed to just be friends with him you didn't tell me how you really felt about him. To answer your hypothetical, if I had to visit Bianca's grave for one hundred thousand years then I would still be happy that I had any time with her at all. Spyro might be willing to make the same choice, and you'll never know until you ask."

"No." Elora stood up and turned toward the entrance hall, clenching her fists. "If Spyro can move on and be with other dragons then my plan worked. I'll leave and let him be happy."

"Hey!" Elora flinched at the volume of Hunter's shout as he stood up, staring her down. She kept her eyes averted, gazing at the exit, but she couldn't block out the words he spoke. "I know you've never understood this, since you sacrificed the life you could've had to fight Ripto, but you deserve to be happy too. Promise me you'll at least talk to Spyro, today, before you decide anything." For a long moment the only sounds in the room were coming from Bianca, obliviously immersed in a fantasy, shielded from the emotional turmoil that afflicted Elora every day. Hunter only ceased to hold his breath when Elora turned her gaze from the floor back to him, walking away from the exit.

"I promise." They embraced, reconciled, Elora prepared to face the rest of her day. "And thank you."

"Eh, it's no trouble. Besides, I had selfish reasons."

"Oh?" Hunter nodded his head down toward her pan flute, Elora slowly lifting it with delicate fingers. "This is how we met." Elora's mother had been teaching her to play while Hunter's father was taking him hunting in the same forest. The joyful music had served as quite the distraction, drawing the cheetahs to the fauns, and Elora and Hunter had been like siblings since then. Elora's mother had been young, still sleeping around as fauns of her age were prone to do, so Elora had never really had a father, but Hunter's father, Akello, had filled that role for her until she was old enough to strike out on her own.

"You stopped playing when Ripto showed up, and even after that I'd never seen you with your flute again. If Spyro heard you playing I think he'd fall in love all over again."

"I guess we'll find out today." Elora said, letting the pan flute fall back against her bag.

"Yeah, about that." Hunter scratched the back of his head, looking pensive. "Spyro might still have two other dragons with him right now, so why don't you let Bianca and me come with you? That way you wouldn't have to feel, uh… Overwhelmed, I guess? And his place is big enough for you two to talk privately anyway." Elora sat back on the couch after he said it, a snippet of information he'd only just revealed having taken her by surprise. He awkwardly sat back down beside her, fidgeting his fingers in his lap. "I'm pretty sure Spyro is going to have a lot to tell us, but I'm sure you still have time. The Professor did say dragons take tons of mates when they get popular, or something like that."

Elora shook her head, her surprised expression becoming one of doubt. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Sharing a lover is just..." She took a deep breath, leaning back in the couch, mentally exhausted already. "I've never even considered that before."

"Well, when in Dragon Realms do as dragons do, right?" That got a chuckle out of her, calm acceptance settling over them.

"Mind turning on the news? Spyro's usually the one who visits me, so I'm behind on what's been happening here."

"Sure." Hunter grabbed his universal remote and turned on the television, switching over to the Dragon News Network broadcast. "I'll let Spyro know we're coming in a couple of hours. Gives him time to look presentable." More importantly it would give Elora time to work up the courage to go at all.

* * *

"Aaaah!" Bianca screamed at the screen, in the thick of combat. "Come on you undead freaks!"

" _I can't believe that random died to a rodent swarm."_ Drobit threw his last enchanted flask of soul-rending into the throng of lizard zombies and rabid shade hounds, staggering them and applying damage over time. _"Until we get to supplies I'm out of crowd control."_

"Flame can handle them with his axe anyway, just help me kill these haywire hoppers!" Robots built in the Dragon Realms often had magical components, and that of course meant that the designers of the game could throw several out-of-control machines at their players, including frog-like robots that leaped onto individual players before exploding for enough damage to 'down' the player. The revival system could only be used to save a player once until they healed themselves to reset it on their current difficulty setting, and there was no backing out of that challenge until they either won the match, or failed it miserably.

" _Bianca, corrupted turrets on the ridge."_ Flame's call-outs and swift advice had kept Bianca going and she followed his directions without hesitation, learning as she went. There wasn't time to question her actions or feel silly for fighting so hard to win a game, the intensity of the combat only leaving room for adrenaline and a rush of power when she did well.

"I have them. Cover me!" After she shot the last turret to pieces with her enchanted bow and arrows, Bianca saw everything in the game-world shake, the music lowering and slowing, taking on an even more sinister timbre. "Um, what the Hell was that?"

" _Oh come on."_ A massive black dragon dropped down from the sky, blocking the small canyon path in front of them.

" _That's a mutant death dragon mini-boss."_ Drobit explained.

"'Mini'? It's huge!" Bianca shot it directly between the eyes with her powerful ranged weapon and then glanced up at its healthbar, seeing it shorten by a distance of only a few pixels. "We are so dead."

" _Don't let its shadow-fire hit you or the burn damage will finish you off. I'll try to keep its attention so stop attacking when it starts going for you."_

Bianca shoved, stabbed, and dodged, trying to mop up the rest of the weaker foes while avoiding the haywire hoppers so she could eventually help with the mini-boss. "It's just a game." She ran out of stamina points from trying to block too many foes at once, staggering her and shaking her view violently. "It's just a game." Drobit was downed by the last hopper when he tried to reach the supply box behind the boss, Bianca rapidly cleaving into the hordes around him to keep him alive. "I'm gonna beat this stupid game!"

* * *

"It's just a game, Cynder. Don't get too hissy."

"Oh shut up you smug bastard." Cynder's avatar became a ragdoll again after Spyro landed another headshot with his railgun, his score ticking up to 14 to her abysmal 3. "Fuck me."

"I just might." Ember had retired to one of the castle's many showers after breakfast, but Cynder had begged Spyro to play a few games before they did the same. Faebreakers was an older science fiction title taking place in a fictitious version of the aetherial chaos beyond the Faewild, and the two had played it extensively when they were much younger. In the years since their last match Spyro had improved drastically, as he tended to do in any competitive medium he applied himself to. "Hold on a sec, I got a new message." He paused the game to glance down at his phone, Cynder dropping the controller on the couch in defeat.

"You might be better at Faebreakers, but I'm gonna kick your ass at Wiz Brawl." When Cynder saw the serene smile on his face as he gazed down at his phone, she put the games out of her mind, the sight making her smile too. "I know that look. I saw it on your face last night." She slid her arm over his shoulders and whispered into his ear. "So, who are we welcoming to Spyro's harem? Do I know her?"

"No, no, it's not like that." His wings slumped and his gaze fell, but his loving smile hadn't broken. "Elora is just a friend. I'll be happy to see her again, but that's it."

"Elora is an exotic name." Cynder said, trying to comfort him. "Is she a Dream Weaver?" Spyro shook his head.

"She's a faun." That gave Cynder pause, Spyro nodding at her reaction. "Exactly. I don't think she's interested in dragons. Fauns are a little too soft for us anyway."

Cynder gave Spyro a comforting nuzzling, hugging him closer. "Denial is a bad look for you, Spyro."

"She doesn't think of me that way." Spyro insisted, his posture slumping further.

"But you do, don't you?" Spyro didn't bother denying it, and Cynder fully embraced him, holding their chests together and laying her head on his back. He slowly put his arms around her, clinging to her desperately. He was trembling.

"Why am I crying?" Barely over an hour ago Cynder's entire world had been Spyro. He'd brought her to heights of pleasure she'd never thought possible, and he always seemed to know exactly what to do. His power would have been terrifying if she hadn't trusted him absolutely, but in spite of all that he was still a fragile, emotional creature, just like every other mortal, and she didn't like it. She held him tight for several minutes, comforting him until his chest stopped heaving and he swallowed down his sudden sadness. "This is stupid. I have you, and I have Ember. I'll be fine."

"Loving someone who doesn't love you back always hurts, but it's even worse when you really aren't sure how they feel." Cynder pulled back and stared him down, pressing her snout against his. "When she gets here you're going to tell her exactly how you feel about her, and then she's gonna do the same. Do you understand, hero boy?" He seemed to be debating the merits of that for a few seconds, but quickly nodded his assent.

"I'll do it for you, but she'll just laugh it off and tell me I'm being silly."

"Is she stupid?" Cynder suddenly asked, completely straight-faced.

"Uh, no. She's brilliant."

"Good. Then you have nothing to worry about. Only an idiot would turn _you_ down, Spyro." She gave him a long, loving kiss, feeling him relax as they held each other, his confidence restored by her encouragement. "Now come on." She hopped off his lap and started toward the showers, smirking back at him. "We need to look presentable for your guest."

"Well, guests. Hunter and Bianca are coming too."

Cynder rolled her eyes and huffed. "They better not get in the way. Ember is proving a little harder to dominate than I expected and I am _not_ gonna be the bottom bitch." Spyro almost tripped over himself when he heard that, visions of a naked Elora, Ember, and Cynder all playfully wrestling each other on his bed invading his thoughts. "Plus, I've heard fauns are excellent lays."

* * *

"So?" High Five buzzed in the air excitedly between his two friends, eagerly awaiting their response, the tome of dark spells in its place behind him. "What do you think?"

"Your plan is an insult to Arcades Sabboth." Rock declared with a grim tone, invoking the name of his most noteworthy ancestor, famed for impenetrable defenses and absolute honesty. "I hope he forgives me, because I don't see any other way."

"Palladia-Mors would approve." Camo added, referencing one of his own ancestors from the same time period. "She knew when to bend the rules for the sake of victory."

Rock nodded, taking a deep breath. "If we do this, I will be honor-bound by the spirit of Arcades to leave the Mountain Crackers. If only one of us can take the blame, allow it to be me."

"No way, dude." High Five said. "If you leave then so do we."

"It's decided, then." Camo turned to the spellbook, narrowing his eyes. "Let it remain here until the final night. Then, we shall secret it away to its new Master."

"On the day of the meeting, Hoss will pay for his hubris. With any luck we will be blamed for our supposed failure, and he will cast us out, giving us exactly what we want." Rock and Camo then waited for High Five to add his own words to their moment of triumphant planning, but after a good long wait they realized he'd started staring at his phone. "Oh come on, Fives!"

"Dudes, look what Spyro just posted on Realmbridge!" Camo quickly fished out his own phone and navigated to the most successful and user-friendly inter-realm social media platform, his subscription to Spyro's Newsfeed highest on his update priority list. Rock just rolled his eyes and looked at High Five's phone. "He totally scored with both the girls we saw him with _at the same time!_ Damn, they're gorgeous aren't they?"

 _Yes he is_ , Camo thought, staring at Spyro's confident smirk and vibrant eyes, Ember and Cynder smiling on either side of him. Now that he was no longer a virgin, Spyro was considered to be on the market for mates, and the fact that he already had two of them didn't dissuade a deluge of users from posting flirty messages under the image. Camo lost track of time while he was staring, but the voice of High Five roused him from his trance.

"More interested in Spyro himself, huh?" Camo suddenly got the sinking feeling that he might have muttered his little thought aloud.

"No!" Camo backed up a few steps, Rock and High Five closing in playfully on either side. "I like girls, thanks!"

"Oh, we know." Rock said, his deep, rumbling voice adding a layer of menace to his teasing. "You always get so nervous and excited when a pretty girl gets close, her scales shining bright in the sunlight."

"Her eyes are piercing and dominating." High Five continued relentlessly, Camo's back to a wall. "Slowly she runs her hand up your thigh, then moves it to your crotch."

"But you aren't imagining a girl right now, are you?" Rock grinned smugly, fanning out his wings. "You're thinking of Spyro right now, his firm grip starting to _squeeze-_ "

"I- I- I-" Camo was breathing fast and hard, looking around frantically until his eyes landed on the stairs out of the basement. "I need some air!" He bolted, trying desperately to avoid getting a raging boner in front of his best friends.

"Wow." High Five watched Camo abscond, surprised. "I guess he really does have a thing for Spyro." Rock audibly slapped a hand into his own face, groaning in agitation. "What!?"

"By the ancestors, Fives, could you be any more dense? It astounds me that you managed to put a decent plan together at all. How many brain-cells do you have to work with in that bulbous head of yours?"

"Screw you, my dude. Screw. You."

* * *

Spyro and Elora would soon reunite, set on a course that could finally bring them together. What Spyro didn't yet know was that there were several more potential mates all working up the nerve to ask for his touch. Cynder had been right: he was going to see a lot of action.


	6. Confidence

Flame was proud of his name, for he loved fire. Try as one might to mitigate its spread, a flame will burn everything it touches. Certainly, fires could be put out, but a fire of sufficient strength could endure such efforts long enough to do its duty. That was why he'd gravitated toward the tank class with access to fire-based ranged weapons. He could outlast the tide and never run out of ammunition; in spite of his low damage output, eventually all would burn save for himself. More accurately, his burly mole avatar would not become a useless ragdoll, but there was no difference to Flame, not when he was so immersed in his task. _"Damn it. I couldn't save him."_ Bianca had proved more helpful than a brand new player had any right to be, but her luck had run out, being swarmed while trying to save Drobit. The horde finished them both off in less than a second. Flame was the only player left. The random player, already long ago defeated, left the match, no longer confident that he would be rescued on respawn.

"I've got this." Time and again he forced openings to land a few shots on the abomination that was displayed on screen, a visage of a dragon tainted by an excess of shadow magic and some minor exposure to aetherial chaos. Flame had never seen such a thing in the real world, only depictions and simulations, but he knew enough about them to be disgusted. Furthermore, he had a new friend to impress and the skills to manage victory, if he could only remain perfectly focused. Perfect management of his allotted dodges and stamina, both slowly recharging, and stolen moments to vent or fire his ranged weapon kept the horde in check and gradually brought the healthbar of his toughest foe lower. Deft avoidance of specialized enemies as they spawned saved him from the constant threat of an instant defeat, and quickly the defeated muttering of his teammates changed to excited advice and timely warnings.

" _Hopper on the left ridge!"_ He dodged back and smashed it apart with his hammer for daring to leap at him.

" _Plasma elementals on the right!"_ They could give him trouble, being ranged and immune to fire damage, but he used the mini-boss as cover until he could get close enough to end them, the horde being cleared in the process. _"Finish it off before more show up! Kick its ass!"_ With angry hammer blows and shot fire-blasts the mini-boss was whittled down, bit by bit, and Flame continued to avoid damage in that time. Though it took several minutes and his fingers were sore by the end, Flame slew it, but he didn't allow himself to relax. Already another horde had spawned, but he refused to falter after all that work, gradually pushing forth to the respawn checkpoint where his allies were waiting to rejoin the fight. He made it all look so much easier than it was, and Drobit and Bianca were laughing as they congratulated him for saving the match. Soon, it would be over.

"Do you have your own Smoke profile, Bianca?"

" _Yep. It has a few good RPGs that I like."_

"Send me your info. I'm friending you."

" _You simply must play this with us again, Bianca."_ Drobit added. _"You are much better at this than your mate."_

* * *

Bianca leaned back in Hunter's chair and slowly removed his headset while staring at the victory screen, the spoils going into her husband's inventory. It had been fun, but she knew she had to take the next step. It seemed she'd acquired an audience, Elora and Hunter standing behind the chair and watching the final moments of the match. "Hunter, I'm getting this game."

"I'm glad you've got a new hobby, but we should probably get going now. We wouldn't want to keep Spyro waiting too long." This was the first Bianca had heard of her time being offered, but she could tell Hunter really wanted her to come along and she always enjoyed seeing Spyro.

"He doesn't like waiting around, that's for sure. Just let me freshen up a little before we head out."

"Hmm." Elora tilted her head at the screen and flicked an ear. "'Victory', huh?"

"I was just a game." Bianca said, waving a hand dismissively, attempting to hide how proud she was of her first Lizard Bleeder match.

"Even so." Elora raised her pan flute to her lips and played a short, triumphant ditty, rapping her left hoof against the floor to create a chipper and fast-paced rhythm. When she finished Hunter was clapping and laughing, Bianca blushing in embarrassment. "Congrats."

"Thanks. That was…" Bianca shook her head, searching for the right words, but unable to find any that seemed sufficient. "Wow." It was still true that Bianca and Elora didn't know each other very well, but for the first time Bianca saw that as a problem that needed solving. "I'll be ten minutes, tops."

While Bianca retired to the bathroom to get her face looking prettier, Elora looked between the three screens visible in the room while Hunter closed programs and put the computers to sleep. "So, are you two entirely electric these days, or do you still have some low-tech entertainment around here?"

Hunter quirked a brow at her, trying to work out what she meant. "Well, I've still got my skateboard and my bow, if that's what you're asking."

"Books, Hunter. Do you have any books?"

"Oh yeah, tons of them." Hunter lead Elora into the bedroom, two separate bookshelves on either side of the window in the far wall. He pointed to the one at their right and said, "Bianca's spellbooks," and then at the other bookshelf, stating, "everything else. That includes my collection of first edition Spyro biographies. It's hard not to be a fan when you know him personally." Elora nodded in agreement at that, gravitating to the tomes at the top row of the left bookshelf, reading the titles on their spines. _"Spyro's First Calling", "And Along Came Ripto", "The Sorceress and the Eggs", "Red's Dark Gems", "The Shadow Realm Conspiracy"._ All were thick, heavily bound accounts of Spyro's adventures, retelling them from the perspective of those who were saved. Elora suspected they might not be perfectly accurate, but she didn't need to guess when she could ask one who'd read them.

"How accurate would you say these books are, Hunter?"

"The facts of what happened are all there." He replied. "But I think that somewhere along the way the author forgot that Spyro is a mortal dragon, or maybe he just doesn't believe he is anymore. Some dragons think he's an angelic servant of Bahamut, or even a Demi-God. It's really weird to read that kinda stuff about my best friend."

Elora nodded. "Yeah, no kidding." Elora took down _"Spyro's First Calling"_ and flipped through until she found the number she was looking for near the beginning. Spyro had only been fifteen years old when he'd defeated Gnasty Gnorc. Then she flipped to the back and read the short section about the author. That particular dragon had been 6,752 at the time. "I don't know if he'd agree, but I'd rather he didn't have to do anything like this again."

* * *

Bianca's makeup was in place, her eyeliner immaculate, her eyeshadow likewise, and her artificial blush lighting her cheeks. She often didn't bother with lipstick, as was the case this time, since it tended to bother her whenever she was eating something. She'd done what she'd said she needed to do, but she wasn't yet truly finished, for it was midday and Bianca was a spellcaster. She had a poem to recite.

"Oh Great Dragon, allow me to breathe as you do, to grip the earth with strong talons as you do, to beat the air with wings only you have,

and to feel the magic as only you can."

Bianca was beyond ecstatic to be living in the Dragon Realms, but trying to engage socially with creatures so revered by her order had been very awkward. Beyond Spyro she hadn't built up any strong relations with the dragons surrounding her, but something about the detachment from reality that a video game offered had allowed her to forget her nerves while speaking with Flame and Drobit. Hunter had spoken about the two of them on occasion, so she'd known that they were dragons, but it had been so much easier to befriend them than she'd expected. "You know three dragons now, Bianca." She told her reflection, next gazing down at her phone, studying the two dragonesses on either side of Spyro in the picture he'd posted to Realmbridge. "Now you can get to know two more. Just stay calm and be cool."

Wizards were often at odds with dragon kind, but in spite of old animosities and ancient battles dragons were still revered by the strongest of spellcasters. There were exceptions in far-off lands, but in places where dragons ruled or once ruled in the past they were held in the highest regard in magical circles, being the most naturally magical beings aside from the Fae themselves. Even Hunter didn't know of Bianca's secret love for all dragons, but it had always driven her actions. Even when she was serving the Sorceress and stealing dragon eggs, she had done it to bring dragons back to her homeland, to see them rise and fill the Forgotten Realms with magic once more. The moment she discovered that her mistress had never intended to let the dragon hatchlings live she switched sides to save them. She would not allow her opportunity to properly integrate into dragon society at long last pass her by.

Bianca rejoined the others, and together the three of them purchased a ride from a balloonist to take them swiftly to the portal leading to Spyro's world. Hunter was bringing his skateboard, bow, and ten arrows along in addition to his phone, while Bianca took her personal spellbook and Elora brought her instrument, both girls carrying a few essentials in their bags. Soon, they'd be in the company of dragons, and nothing could excite Bianca more.

* * *

Spyro had opted to take a quick shower, wasting no time so he'd have plenty for practicing his boarding in the massive skating area elsewhere in his castle. There were many competitions and events lined up for the summer; he was expected to do well at each of them and he hated to disappoint his fans, but he also had a motivation he didn't want to admit. In the privacy of a shower or the quiet of a bath his mind often lingered on unpleasant memories of his many near-death experiences. A squad of gnorcs firing machine guns or swinging enchanted swords while wearing heavy armor. A vicious rhynoc swinging a magical blade of electric energy. A manic, vicious spellcaster raining explosive death from a robotic bird over a field of boiling lava.

Within minutes he'd stumbled out of the shower and started toweling himself down, hastily cutting off the water and making his way into the hall. He forced his breathing to a calmer pace and looked around, sure that Cynder had just started her shower, but surprised to see the light for Ember's chosen bathroom was still on. He tossed his towel onto his back and made his way to the door, planning to tease her a bit for taking so long. Afterall, she'd started quite awhile before he and Cynder had bothered to. When he opened the door the sight of her stalled his thoughts and stayed his tongue, the jokes he'd expected to make dissolving away.

Ember's pink scales shined with moisture, every glimmer revealing perfect cleanliness. There was no speck of dirt nor dust to mar her image, nor scratches or stains that had not been buffed out long ago. Her soft lips gave a serene smile, and together with her perfectly smooth horns they framed her beautiful eyes, which seemed a brighter shade than he remembered under the bright light in the room, almost cyan. Her hot-pink crest and tail-crest drew his eyes down the curves of her body, and the skin of her wings was free of any blemish. Her perfect white claws were on display at the lip of the bath, as she had been climbing out before he entered. "Oh, there you are. I was hoping you'd get here before I left." She stopped pulling herself out and delicately lifted her hand, beckoning Spyro to her with a few slow waves of a finger. "You built these tubs to fit adult dragons, so there's plenty of room for both of us. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

"Actually I, uh, just finished showering?" It came out like a question because he was questioning himself for daring to contradict her, already eagerly stepping closer.

"Oh? You don't look like you did. Must have been a very rushed job. That won't do at all, Spyro. Not for a dragon as handsome as you." She extended her hand to him when he was close enough, and he let her fingers envelope his, flippantly shrugging off his towel and letting her coax him into her bath. "I'd love to show you everything, but we don't have too much to work with here. You should stock your baths better, Spyro; then, I could really look nice for you." Spyro released a quiet gasp of disbelief at the thought that she could look any better, but he knew it was true. He'd never seen her fresh out of a bath before, but there was a certain shine to her scales that he was sure she maintained with polish that he didn't have. "You deserve the best, but we'll make do with what you have today."

"Ember, about what I said in the kitchen, taking you whenever I want and all that-" She put a gentle claw to his lips, quietly shushing him.

"Spyro, I know that you'd stop if I asked, but I won't ask. The thought that I could just be performing some menial task, just going about my day, and you'd still find me irresistible, just the sight of me enough to get you in the mood. That..." She looked down into the water, fluttering her lashes, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "That makes me so happy. You make me feel so sexy and powerful. Whenever you give me that hungry look or say all the things you're going to do to me, I melt for you. I want to be yours, Spyro. Take me whenever you want me." He kissed her, suddenly and without warning, and she just melted into it, giving into his passion as she always would. When their lips parted he was smiling, feeling free. "I will live with you, Spyro. I don't care what my parents say. I'm old enough to make this decision, and I couldn't ask for a better mate."

Spyro nuzzled her comfortingly, and then he felt her cleaning between his scales, rubbing soap in with her finger-pads and carefully scraping away stains with her claws. She started with his face, and he submerged himself completely when she asked, the process relaxing and peaceful. When she started to move her expert hands down his neck he began to speak, his voice soft with admiration. "This place needs a feminine touch. Your touch. And so do I."

"You can say that again." She declared, scrutinizing his neck-plates and snorting out embers to heat the water, trying to work clumps of grime out of deep scratches and chips in Spyro's natural armor. "You've never shied away from a fight, I see. In less powerful lights I hardly noticed; your colors are naturally vibrant enough to shine through these stains." The water had been plenty hot enough to work with when she'd first entered, but after her bath it had cooled significantly.

"Here, let me help." Spyro held his hands together, the tips of his left claws touching just above his right wrist and both hands cupped, the draconic hand sign for fire. He closed his eyes and focused on the raging inferno, letting out a measured trickle of its power, until a few wisps of vapor rose from the bath. "There. Is that better?" Ember nodded and thanked him, making much swifter progress. She worked her hands up and down his arms, then carefully cleaned each of his fingers, kissing his hands affectionately before moving on. She gently took a washcloth to the membranes of his wings, amazed by how totally relaxed he was as she did. Dragon wings may have been tough by the standards of other creatures, able to deflect powerful blows and resist blunt trauma, but to the sharp claws of another dragon they were the most vulnerable part of a dragon's body. In all the romance novels Ember had read, the exposing of one's wings to another dragon was a sign of great trust and love, and she could see in Spyro's eyes that he understood that very well.

"Your wings are the color of the rising Sun. They'll be just as glorious a sight as a Sunrise when I'm done." Spyro looked down bashfully, the soothing sound of Ember scrubbing him clean bidding him to relax and simply enjoy her touch. By the time she'd finished with one sensitive wing and moved on to the next he felt his slit parting open, his tip gradually sliding out into the water. He sighed gratefully, feeling all the tension in his body fading away as her hands traveled to his back, Ember working her way down his spine, cleaning his scales and crests. When she reached his rear he groaned and felt himself harden, her touch as reverent as it had been the previous night. After she finished cleaning his tail from base to tip his dick had fully emerged, and that was when she asked him: "Could you lay on your back for me, Spyro?" She needed better access to the rest of him if she was to finish her task.

With a slight smirk he did as she asked, showing off his erection without shame and watching her blush deeply as she saw it. "That's your fault, you know." Her gorgeous wings twitched as he said it, her smile growing from the thought. "Don't stop now, Ember. It feels so good." She gently held his left ankle, using the washcloth to clean his foot next.

"I won't, Spyro." After the initial rub of the cloth on both of his feet she set it aside, using her bare fingers and claws to finish the job as she had with the rest of him. She bit her lower lip, debating internally for a moment, and then lowered her face and nuzzled the pads of his feet. Spyro's cock twitched beneath her and his toes pressed lightly into her cheeks, the intimate contact drawing a content hum from both of them. She spent a good long moment just letting him squeeze her cheeks with his toes, working her way down his legs afterward. After she finished cleaning every individual scale of his inner thighs she worked her delicate fingers under the ridges of his cock, making him groan with satisfaction. She stroked under each ridge from tip to base, and then ran her soapy hands over his balls, finally giving his vent a good rub before moving further up. She traveled higher, first over his belly and then his chest, cleaning out every scratch and buffing off every stain. By the time she was laying over him he was as clean as he'd ever been in the past ten years, and she dunked his horns down into the water to clean them too. Finally her hands came to rest on his chest, her task completed.

They were so close then, his ridges teasing her slit as she'd worked her way up. One small shift further forward and he'd be ready to take her again, and from the look in his eyes she knew that he would. The majority of his body was submerged, obscured by suds of soap while his fingers traced down her form, her shoulders and wings just above the water. Taking a firm grip on her ass he pulled, just a little, lining her up and burying himself deep. He squinted and hissed from the warmth and slickness of her silky flesh, sensitive with need after the long bath. He watched her take the initiative, gyrating her hips to increase his pleasure, showing she'd learned much from watching how Cynder moved. The sight of her gorgeous, bright scales shimmering in the light and her soft pink wings practically glowing behind her face was captivating on its own, but her unfocused eyes, slightly parted lips, and quiet moans of pleasure made the entire spectacle even better, Spyro's cock throbbing inside her. It was too much, and he found his pleasure mounting faster than usual, watching her expression closely for signs of weakness, and he found it. Gripping her ass more firmly, he shoved her down at the perfect moment, digging his cock into one of her sweet spots and letting himself go.

Ember collapsed into him and he held her steady above the water, filling her womb with his seed while she rode out her own orgasm, her claws weakly gripping his sides under the water. He crossed his ankles over her tail and then squeezed her thighs with his own, his balls rubbing against her vent while the last strands of his release coated her insides. "Thank you, Ember." He spoke warmly, kissing her head and nuzzling her while she recovered.

"Oh, anytime, Spyro." She whispered back, sluggish in her afterglow. "Just wait until you see yourself now." Ember giggled happily, content to wait with his dick in her until he decided to let her up, and they laid there peacefully for a good long while.

Long enough for Cynder to peek in, just as curiously as Spyro had earlier. "Ah, so _that's_ what took you so long." Ember gasped and lifted herself, sheepishly stepping back and smiling awkwardly. After a moment her expression calmed, seeing as the intrusion was from someone she was very comfortable with. Free to right himself, Spyro started to clamber out of the tub, and Cynder's eyes widened when she saw him. "Wow." Spyro shook his head, laughing at her reaction, until he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the sink.

He slowly lifted his hand to his cheek, smiling at the sight. "Ember, remember that list of kitchen supplies I asked you to make?" She hummed in affirmation, letting the water drain and climbing out of the bath herself. "Make one for the bathrooms too, would ya?"

"Sure thing, Spyro." Ember strutted past Cynder and Spyro with a self-satisfied grin on her face. "Just wait until you taste my chocolate souffles."

* * *

The pane of aether within the confines of the gate leading to Spyro's world rippled as his guests stepped through it, glancing curiously at the lush landscape. Hunter quickly became preoccupied with his phone, letting Spyro know they'd arrived as they began their walk to the moat over the inactive mines. Bianca was quietly reciting spells from her book without pushing any magic into it, simply going through the motions for the sake of practice, but she wasn't too distracted to notice Elora's tail excitedly wagging. It was invitingly flagged as well, though that seemed to always be the case, only ever lowering when Elora was in a sour mode. She was as far from that as possible, tapping her flute in anticipation and a slight bounce in her step.

"Dude, I'm telling you we're only a few steps away from the moat. Get up here and drop the bridge." Hunter nodded to himself after hearing a response and then ended the call. "He's on his way." Elora took a deep breath, feeling the purity of nature in the air, the majority of the world untouched by civilization. The structure in front of her represented the total effect of habitation in the world, no factories or refineries nearby to ruin the air, and the subtle scent of clean water rose up from the moat. Within a few more seconds her quiet appreciation was interrupted by the dropping of the bridge, and Elora heard the familiar clacking of sharp claws on metal, looking down to see Spyro running right for her.

Only it wasn't Spyro as she'd often seen him. Before he'd been scuffed up with the dirt of a recent fight, or weary with the stains of prior conflicts. She had seen him clean, fresh from a swim at the beach, but never so perfectly pure. Scrapes and nicks could be seen all along his horns and chest-plates, but each was as clean as a prized trophy, every one of them a testament to his heroism. His claws shined with every step as he lifted them into the light before bringing them back down. A serpentine pattern of glimmers produced by his rich purple scales, shifting with his every movement. More immaculate scales framed his vibrant eyes, which shined like amethysts when the sun caught them, becoming a deep and noble purple when they had a cloud's cover. When his orange wings fanned out and caught the light as he drew close, Elora felt as if the warmth of the dawn itself was coming to greet her, all of it framed by the gold of Spyro's wing bones and crest.

"Elora!" He was clearly excited to see her, hopping up to her chest and gripping her shoulders with his hands. She had carried him before when he was younger, cradling him almost instinctively, his thighs on either side of her waist while he nuzzled her. It was a much more enthusiastic greeting than she expected, but she returned the gesture, in spite of the weight and height he'd gained since the last time she'd held him in such a way. "I'm glad you're here." When he started flapping his wings to lift himself and give her some space she felt some soreness in her arms from the strain of holding him up, and when he landed he was standing on only his legs, his head as high as her bosom.

"I'm glad your new home is finally finished." She managed to hide her surprise at how casually he held his upright posture, having only seen him do so sparingly before. Perhaps he simply felt more comfortable where they were and in friendly company, as opposed to in the open in a foreign world. Afterall, he'd always been on all four limbs during a fight, or whenever he anticipated one. "May we enter, oh Spyro, Lord of this Land." Elora even added a little curtsy to her tease, delicately lifting the leaves of her sparse dress as she crossed her legs. She noticed two other dragons were standing behind him in a similar manner, and she recognized the shorter, pink one, who clasped her hands and fluttered her lashes when she heard Elora's words, gazing at Spyro affectionately. Elora had the impression that Ember might say the same words with absolutely no sarcasm.

Spyro just rolled his eyes at Elora's little jest, formally introducing Cynder and Ember to Hunter, Bianca, and Elora. While Elora was looking forward to getting to know Ember a little better, she was a bit nervous about Cynder. She was as tall as Hunter just standing at rest, but her neck could straighten to make her a bit taller, and the flexibility of it let her study everyone else's faces from multiple angles with ease. Cynder seemed particularly interested in Bianca, taking note of her modest robes and spellbook. Introductions concluded, Spyro gestured toward the entryway. "Come on, ladies and..." Spyro gave Hunter an appraising look, settling on: "and dude. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

The den was comfortably furnished, in spite of its large size. Spyro had settled down on one of a number of colorful floor cushions, Ember on his left and Cynder on his right. The small talk had stalled when they reached the room, Hunter and Bianca sitting on one of the couches and watching Elora curiously. The faun seemed drawn to the dragons, sitting and crossing her legs on a cushion just in front of Spyro, her hand sliding into her bag to hold that silly, crumpled old letter. "Spyro, I came here to apologize. I've been avoiding you these past few months for some stupid reason that I'd rather not get into." Her grip on the letter still hidden in her bag tightened a little, her eyes downcast. "I know you noticed, and it wasn't fair of me to do. I've been under a lot of stress in Avalar, but you always manage to make me feel better. I guess, what I'm saying is, I'll be around a lot more often, if you can forgive me for being such an idiot in the first place."

Spyro shook his head, staring hard at her bag, almost as if he knew what she'd found. Cynder gently nudged his shoulder and whispered. "Go on, Spyro. Tell her."

Spyro took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to get his thoughts in order. When he opened them again there shined a confidence in them that gave the weight of absolute certainty to his next words. "Elora, I love you. I have loved you for a long time." He fanned his wings out behind the dragonesses at his sides, tilting his head toward them in turn as he mentioned their names. "But I love Ember and Cynder too, and just as deeply. This is the dragon way, and I don't want to live without them. I can understand if you can't accept that, but if you can then I will give you all the love you could ever need. That is a promise, Elora. And if you really don't feel the same way, or you don't want to share a lover, then I'll still be your friend, always."

Elora felt as if a spell had just lifted when Spyro finished speaking, the conviction in his voice having captivated her. She brought her hand out of her bag, considering her response carefully and trying keep her emotions suppressed. "I don't know if I'd be okay with that, but I never really thought about it before. My people always settle down with just one lover, after we're finished being wild. I've already fallen for someone thirty years before I was supposed to." The way she looked at him let Spyro know that he was the one she was talking about, and he resolved then and there to make her admit it more directly; to make her let herself be happy. First, he had to understand what was holding her back.

"Please, tell me why you've been so distant. I need to know, Elora."

To Elora's surprise, Ember spoke next. "We just want to help you, but we have to know what's wrong first."

"If you need protection from someone in the Dragon Realms then I can arrange it." Cynder added. "Just give me names."

Hunter stood up and cleared his throat, loudly. He didn't want Elora to feel crowded, but that wasn't the reason she stood and took a few steps away. "I just need time. Time to think. I'll tell you everything tomorrow, just… let me figure it out first."

Spyro nodded patiently, but each of the dragons still looked deeply concerned and contemplative. Elora left the room and Hunter followed, Bianca staying in the den to try to cheer up their hosts. At the drawbridge was where Elora finally stopped to talk to Hunter, the cheetah confused by her destination. "Tell Spyro to meet me on the beach tomorrow morning. In fact, tell Ember and Cynder to come, too." She turned to him with a tired smile, taking another deep breath of the fresh air. "I've been away from nature for too long. Maybe it can help me decide how much I should say."

"You can't mean that you're going to spend the night out in the open!"

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "I know how to handle myself in a forest."

"Okay, fine." Hunter took his bow and arrows and held them out to her. "But take these, just in case. We don't know what all is out there yet. This is pretty new world, you know."

"Thank you, Hunter, but don't worry about me." She turned away from the tall fortifications, gazing out at the untouched land as the sun began to dip lower in the sky. "I have a good feeling about this." As Hunter watched her stride out at full speed, kicking up dirt with her hooves, he felt that maybe she was right.

Even though she was too far away to hear, he spoke to her one last time before turning away. "I hope you find how to be happy, sister." He turned around, walked back inside, and lifted the bridge. "Man, I sure hope Spyro doesn't freak out about this."


	7. Miss No Chances

The sun was setting on a mostly untamed world, dusk taking the landscape into a peaceful stillness, the buzzing of insects rising into the air. The sounds of the larger insects were distant from the towering castle walls, a testament to the voracious feeding habits of Sparx, the magical dragonfly. He was often a calm voice for his brother Spyro, but on this night he was still elsewhere, partaking of needy females in Dragonfly Falls. In spite of the serene sights all around him, Spyro desperately wished for his brother's counsel, so he would not be burdened entirely with the monumental task of controlling his own irritation alone. Claws scraped against stone, and Spyro barely restrained his voice to a mere growl. "You just want me to leave her alone out there, with your old bow and a few arrows, for the whole night?"

"She needed to be alone, Spyro. Just give her time to sort out her thoughts." Hunter knew he couldn't betray Elora's trust by explaining the cause of her emotional turmoil, not sure that he could word it properly even if he tried, but he was at least determined to keep Spyro from seeking her out until she was ready. "Nature brings her peace of mind. It'll do her good to spend a night on her own out there."

"And if some wild predator native to this world finds her while she's busy having a hard think or a snooze, how do you think that'll go down?" Spyro's wings twitched in agitation, as if he was primed to fly off at any moment. "This place isn't explored enough yet for us to know she's safe."

"I can sympathize with your worries, my dude, but you've gotta be chill here. The professor's probes proved that at least the surrounding area is docile, right? There's a lot more plants than animals around here, and none with sharp teeth. She knows not to stray too far if she wants to hike over the mountains in the morning. Her strong legs evolved for those sorts of escapades. I know us furry sorts look soft and weak to most dragons, but you know better, Spyro." That seemed to have the desired effect, Spyro sighing and lowering his wings. When he saw that his friend was finally calm, Hunter relaxed in turn, his tail moving less stiffly as it swayed back and forth. "Elora can take care of herself, and we can complain to her together that there was plenty of room in the castle when she gets back."

Spyro pushed off the parapet for the ramparts and dropped down to all fours, managing a weak smile. If Hunter hadn't used his board to keep up with Spyro and talk him down during the dragon's sprint to the outer walls then he would have spent the night blindly searching for a faun who didn't want to be found. "Sorry for flying completely off the handle there for a minute. I'm just a little in love with her so I guess I overreacted."

Hunter took a sharp breath through his nostrils, fairly anxious about how the situation would play out after his discussion with Elora earlier in the day. Initially he had just wanted Elora to express her feelings to Spyro, sure that things would work out somehow, but after seeing how affectionate Spyro was toward the other dragons he had his doubts. It occurred to him at last that the culture of dragons was just a little too different from that of satyrs and fauns. "You're not the only one she wants to meet on the beach tomorrow. She wants Ember and Cynder to come along too."

The news that had confirmed to Hunter that Elora just wanted to let Spyro down on the best possible terms seemed to have the opposite implication in Spyro's mind. For a few moments Hunter had trouble keeping up as the dragon moved faster without thinking to, a spring in his step. As far as he was concerned, Elora wouldn't want to see all three of them unless she was warming up to the idea of sharing him equally with his other girls. Halfway back to the den he slowed back to a normal pace and frowned in sudden uncertainty, as it hit him again that Elora must have something else holding her back, something worth spending the night alone in the woods to figure out. Perhaps, if that was the case, it would be best for him to see her alone first, whether she'd invited the others along or not. "I wonder what has her so worked up." Hunter was glad that Spyro had merely mumbled that to himself, not sure how he would handle himself if he was confronted on the matter.

Before long, the pair of them had returned to the den to find the girls enjoying the evening relatively calmly, each of them quite sure that Elora wouldn't rush off for a sudden camping trip unless she could handle herself. Cynder had offered to teach Bianca how to play Wiz Brawl, and the screen showed Bianca's character being absolutely destroyed by an extensive combo when Spyro and Hunter entered. Apparently Cynder subscribed to the idea of learning through failure. "Do you always torture the newbs?" Spyro asked, sitting beside her on the couch nearest the screen and the various electronic devices connected to it.

"You should have heard the noise she made the first time I beat her." Cynder whispered, barely loud enough for Spyro to hear. "I think she gets off on it." Hunter had remained standing, always comfortable on his feet, but his ear shifted in their direction curiously. "You think she's part of the Order?" She asked more loudly, Bianca clenching her controller self-consciously.

"What?" Hunter replied in disbelief. "You mean those bearded old wizards in the mountains that recite chants about how great dragons are and how nice their butts probably smell? I've never seen her do any of that crazy stuff."

"The Order of Erren Draco often practices in secret and has spread throughout every inner realm." Cynder explained, certain of her deduction. "More than half of the spellcasters alive today belong to the Order, and Bianca is one of them." To prove her point definitively, Cynder turned to Bianca and spoke a clear command, something any Order member would obey coming from a dragon who wasn't openly hostile. "Admit it. You shouldn't keep such things from your mate."

Bianca nodded slowly, opening her mouth to explain herself, and slowly closing it again when she failed to find the words. Hunter just chuckled, plopping down onto one of the floor cushions with an embarrassed smile. "Jeez, Bianca, why didn't you just tell me? I wouldn't have poked fun at them so much if I knew you were one of them, you know. You're living proof that they aren't so weird afterall."

"I'm sorry, Hunter. It never really came up before the wedding, and I never thought to explicitly mention it because it was so normal to me and I thought it was obvious. Then, after the rant about 'those weird old guys' at the reception-"

Hunter held up his hands to stall the rest of Bianca's explanation, still smiling. "It's okay. Just try not to keep any _other_ giant secrets for years, alright?" She nodded sheepishly, nervously fiddling with her robes. "I'm not judging, but I have to know: what drew you into the Order in the first place?"

"Well, I wanted to be a sorceress. I loved magic and devoted my life to it, and revering dragons is just something you do when you love magic. Dragons breathe magic; their elemental breath attacks are all magical. Their bodies are so filled with magic every part of them is potentially a valuable alchemical ingredient." The lot of them flinched when she mentioned that, but she didn't seem to notice, barreling on. "Every creation myth I've ever heard has featured at least one dragon as a God and in a prominent role, even from peoples who have only ever heard of dragons or aren't even sure if dragons are real. And even if Avalar has somehow managed to maintain its magic by other means, other realms can't magically survive without dragons. If no dragons return to the Forgotten Realms in the next five hundred years, all of the portals will die and no spells or enchantments will function at all. No one but a dragon can save a place from becoming magically barren. Even faeries don't have that ability. Dragons are the only known source of permeated worldly magic for others to use outside the unexplored Faewild." Bianca smiled broadly, filled with confidence by her own declarations. "Is it strange for a sorceress to revere dragons? No. In fact, it's strange for her not to."

Spyro gave Bianca a searching look, concerned for his friend. "Even so," he said, "do not trust in the nobility of dragons. It eroded away long ago."

"No." Ember said simply from her cushion just in front of the couch, smiling serenely. "That may have been true a few decades back, and you should be weary of some of the Elders, but you can trust the young, Bianca." She turned her gaze to Spyro pointedly, her eyes filled with affection. "We have a great example to follow." A short silence followed, Ember's words bringing to mind the vast accomplishments to Spyro's name. Hunter and Bianca wondered what states their original realms would be in, had Spyro never come along to save them. Ember just returned her eyes to the screen and tilted her head at the character selection menu for Wiz Brawl. "Can I play? It looks like fun."

"Sure." Cynder replied, passing her controller to Ember. "Bianca should face an opponent of comparable experience anyway." While Hunter settled down to watch the game and process what he'd just learned about his wife, Cynder gestured for Spyro to follow her to a far corner of the room. He did as she wanted, and she began to whisper quietly. "There is a Knifetail meeting tonight. I cannot miss it. I must explain why I failed to take the book."

"You're not going to blame me, are you?" He asked jokingly, not too concerned.

"Of course I will." She replied with a cheeky smirk. "I'll say you found me on my way there and expressed an interest in acquiring the book yourself, for a price. I'm sure they'll understand why I didn't want to get in the great Spyro's way. I'll explain that I'm being rewarded for assisting you in this matter instead."

Spyro grew contemplative, his expression becoming more neutral. "Cynder, I want you to consider stepping down from the Knifetail's ranks. They take too many unnecessary risks, and I don't trust Slither's judgment. I can keep you safer here."

Cynder shook her head, flicking her tail. "You're too hard on Slither. She speaks as smoothly as Venera, but she's far more trustworthy. She has a thing for the bipeds, same as you." Spyro rolled his eyes, not letting Cynder distract him with Slither's sexual preferences. "Besides, the only member other than Slither who outranks me is Blackout. If I get into trouble it's my fault. I'll be fine, but I will think about it."

"That's all I ask. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, I plan to use the upcoming sale of the book as an excuse to sleep with you for the rest of the week." Spyro chuckled at that, but went quiet when Cynder nuzzled his chin, moving her face to his neck and letting her head rest under his. "It's strange to feel this way. I always imagined I'd be strong and influential enough to take many mates, but you're beyond even me and… I feel happy, being one of your mates."

"I'm glad that you're happy, Cynder, but you know I don't mind you having other mates. I wouldn't want to get in the way of you having some boy toys to boss around."

"You're the best I've ever had, Spyro, and I've had a lot. I don't want anyone else." Cynder lifted her head and gazed in Ember's direction, smiling softly. "Except, perhaps, my fellow harem girls."

"'Harem girls.'" Spyro rolled his eyes. "You make it sound so kinky."

"Well, that is the traditional term." She teased.

"The ancient traditional term, from when our culture was influenced by the idea that Io was a male dragon."

"Just don't bother getting used to it." Cynder said, beginning to walk away and smirking over her shoulder. "I couldn't tease you with it if it didn't bother you."

"I'll spank you for that when you get back!" He called after her playfully. That was enough of a distraction for Bianca that it gave Ember an opening to exploit in their Wiz Brawl match, but Hunter just chuckled. It seemed as though their young friend really had grown up, at least by the standards of the shorter-lived species.

Cynder's departure seemed to remind Ember of the time, and she passed her controller to Hunter, insisting he give the game a shot. She met Spyro in the middle of the room, running a claw over the stone floor. "Spyro, I think I should talk to my parents tonight. Tell them my decision. It's something too important to explain over the phone, and..." Ember cast her gaze around the room, then leaned in closer and whispered. "I think Elora wants to talk to you alone first."

"Hunter said she mentioned you and Cynder by name." Spyro whispered back. "I thought I'd still be going with at least one of you."

Ember shook her head knowingly. "Elora still needs to warm up to the idea, I think. She invited us along because she didn't want to reject us. It's a good sign, but I think things will go more smoothly if you speak to her alone first." He sighed in understanding, having had the same thought himself not too long ago. "My own relationship with a younger species didn't go so well. If she does reject us-"

"She won't." His expression didn't match his confident words, his shoulders slumped. "And if she rejected you, she'd be rejecting me."

"I know, Spyro. What I'm trying to say is, if she does reject us, I'm sorry." She smiled sadly, sliding an arm over his shoulders, hugging him closely. "I know what you're going through."

"I know you do." He shut his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm the one who put you through it."

Ember pulled back slowly, lifting her hand to Spyro's chin and gazing deeply into his eyes. "I forgive you, Spyro. We both had a silly dream, but sometimes those dreams come true. Maybe you'll be as lucky as I was."

"I'd be thrice as lucky." The message was clear: he cared just as deeply for each of them, as if that was ever in doubt.

Ember turned toward the exit and smirked. "I wouldn't say that. Afterall, you're going to share her too, aren't you?"

He nodded with a wide grin, his mood much improved. "Count on it, babe."

Spyro offered to have Hunter and Bianca spend the night in a guest room to save them the trouble of jogging back home, since the sun had already set. They spent some time discussing spellcraft, but Spyro avoided mentioning the dark tome the Mountain Crackers possessed, not wanting rumors to spread. It wasn't long before Bianca retired to the guest room, but Spyro and Hunter were still too anxious to sleep right away. They went to the skating courtyard within the castle grounds to let off some steam and tire themselves out, the competition offered by Hunter's skills giving Spyro the practice he'd neglected earlier in the day.

When Spyro finally laid down to rest he was alone in his bed, as he had been for most of his life. The bed felt far too spacious and cold without his lovers, but he managed to slip into an uneasy sleep regardless, his phone set to wake him at first light.

* * *

Elora hadn't felt so alive in years. The night was waning, day approaching to replace it, and by the sparse light of the falling moon Elora climbed the mountain. Her legs tensed up whenever a ledge was out of arm's reach, and she made high vertical jumps with an expert fluidity. Certainly, she had a few awkward slips and she wasn't moving as quickly as she would have liked, but the years of office work and political meetings hadn't entirely ruined her muscle memory. "Not yet." She muttered to herself, wondering just how long it would take for her to lose her physical strength and grace completely, to become fat and modern, content to feast on fast food behind a desk. Bleak as those thoughts were, they were stalled by a magnificent sight.

Elora had reached one of Spyro's plasma mortars, planted into the mountain and ready to rain super-heated orbs of death down on the minefield in front of the castle, each a deterrent to aerial attackers as well during their trip through the skies. The barrel was only as long as Elora was tall, but it was thrice as wide, the power-core buried beneath the rocks and the metal painted over with a near-black brown to help it blend into the mountain itself from any significant distance. She ran a hand over the painted metal, making a mental note to ask Spyro just how hot the plasma would be should it fire.

Turning away from the technological marvel, Elora finished her climb and began her descent, the rising sun beginning to light the ocean ahead of her. It was the perfect sequel to her night under the stars, and Elora promised herself when she saw it that she would spend more time being free. Avalar could hold itself together for a few weeks out of the year; she never wanted to forget nature again. She sped down the mountain, her muscles burning with every impact and a smile on her face. She suddenly slid to a stop and fell back when she heard a mighty roar from above, trying to hide and get a look at whatever made the noise at the same time.

She didn't have to look for long; the dragon made his presence known with a ring of fire emanating from his face and coiling back around his form, leaving a wide trail of smoke behind, as if he was trying to get someone's attention. "Oh, right." Elora finished her descent to the beach and galloped to the water, getting her fur wet and making the largest splashes she could until she saw Spyro put a halt to his fire stream and turn in her direction. When he reached her she was sitting in the sand with her legs crossed, panting to recover from her exertions. "I thought you'd sleep in a little. Where are the other two?"

"They'll be back. They know I'm the one you need to talk to." Spyro sat in front of her, barely an arm's length away, curling his tail around himself and folding his wings against his back. "You just wanted to come to terms with dragon mating practices by morning, right?"

"That may have been part of it." Elora looked to the side, debating internally. "It isn't the real reason I needed to be out here, though. I'm trying to do the right thing, in spite of what I want, but I don't know if those are different anymore."

Spyro rolled his eyes, smiling and attempting to will away the tension in the air. "You're not makin' any sense, babe. Just tell me what's really going on, okay?"

"Babe?" She tittered at that, her posture loosening a bit.

"What? It's true! You look great." He made an overexaggerated expression of deep thought, pursing his lips. "Well, for someone who just slept in the woods last night, anyway." Elora tried her best to look offended while Spyro laughed, but she couldn't keep herself from grinning. Then they were just sitting there, staring into each other's eyes, and it felt so natural and calm. However, there was more to be said. "You said you'd tell me everything. I'm holding you to that. It's the only way I can help."

Elora shook her head, trying to deny it, but his eyes squinted ever-so-slightly and she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. "I'm a faun, you dork!"

" _That_ sounds familiar."

"Really? Because you haven't exactly noticed the most obvious problem with that, Spyro." He flinched back as if stung, but it was too late to stop. "Time! Time, Spyro! I don't have enough of it. I'll be dead over a thousand years before you have your first child!" Spyro's face softened, the hurt replaced with understanding. "I thought it would be best not to put you through anything like that. You deserve to be loved for your whole life, and you can be if I don't hurt you first."

"Elora, listen very carefully." Spyro was smiling serenely, slowly moving to stand right beside her. "I know you love me, but even if you didn't, I'd still be your friend. Even if you pushed me away completely and I didn't see you again until you were on your deathbed, it wouldn't change anything. I would still be there. I'd be the one visitor the doctors could never get rid of." He was still smiling and calm as a tear ran down his cheek, slowly sliding his fingers over her palm and lightly gripping her hand in his. "And I'd hold your hand, just like this. I'd tell you to squeeze whenever it hurts." She held on tighter, silent tears falling from the both of them. "I'd tell you that everything is going to be okay, and I'd stay there with you for all of your final days. I _will_ be there, Elora. One of your last thoughts will be that you _weren't alone_."

"Someone who loves you will be there, Elora. Denying yourself the life you want, the one you'll be proud to look back on, that won't spare me anything. The pain of losing you will be worth it for a hundred more years of memories, and it would be worth what I already have, too." There was a happiness and optimism in Spyro's voice, because those years were still ahead, and after their passing they would have passed well. It was an encouraging thought, and slowly Elora managed to regain her composure, the silent tears finished falling. "Tell me the truth, Elora. Do you love me?"

"I do, Spyro. I love you, so much that I would have given you up to make your life better. So much that I couldn't stay away, even when I thought I had to."

Spyro nodded, happy with her answer, but certainly not surprised. "I _am_ irresistible. Now," he opened his hand and gestured inwardly with his claws. "Hand over the letter you're pretending I didn't notice." Elora did so without reluctance, more than ready to discuss something far less serious. She was extremely surprised when the letter simply burst into fiery ashes in Spyro's hand, the recently well bathed dragon shaking out his claws with a disgusted look on his face. "Damn it! Next time I'll remember to put it on the ground and spit the fire so I don't get all this trash on me. Anyway," he turned his attention back to Elora, "the Professor doesn't like when I use magic inside his lab, especially when I'm drunk, after the last time, which is a whole other thing I don't even want to get into. The point is, if I had been anywhere else, I would have burned it on the spot. I woke up later to Drobot smacking me across the face with his polishing rag."

"There's a sight I wish I'd seen, or even caught on camera." They were smiling and laughing, totally comfortable together after everything that had been said. While they were talking Elora had felt Spyro's claws gently following the curves of her legs, teasing the skin beneath the fur. When the lull in their conversation hit it was obviously intentional on Spyro's part, and he grinned as he gripped her legs instead of just teasing them, coaxing them out of her cross-legged position and pushing them apart.

"I'm going to show you how I really feel about you. That's a warning so you can take your dress off, if you care."

"And if I don't?" Spyro crept closer, his hands firmly pressing into Elora's thighs until they reached her waist.

Spyro chuckled, his smile bordering on predatory. "Then I'll rip it off and make you a better one later."

Elora smirked, using her arms to keep her upper half propped up as she leaned back to give Spyro more space. "So, the great Spyro is also a dressmaker?" She asked with sarcasm.

"If the dress breathes, like these leaves, still green and lush with the innate magic of your people." Spyro was relentless, pressing his hands into her dress over her belly, pushing lightly until she slipped a little lower with each step. "Did you forget that I mastered every element?" Her hands kept sliding further apart as he advanced, until her arms were splayed out to her sides and she was laying on her back beneath him, his left hand holding her down just beneath her breasts. He opened his right hand and gently breathed into his palm, carefully weaving his magic until a vibrant violet bloomed, somehow rooted into the air between his fingers. "I'd rather not cover you up at all, but if I do then I doubt you'll be disappointed by the result."

"I have to admit, that's really impressive."

"Oh, sweetie." Spyro flicked the newly generated violet away to slowly fall to the sand, and Elora felt the leaves of her dress shifting against her skin. "I haven't even started yet." Elora looked down to see strands of magical energy glowing a lively green and expanding from Spyro's hand into the still-living leaves and the vines that tied them together, and by his will those bindings were undone. First they peeled away from her breasts, exposing her nipples to the cool morning air, and with a two-handed gesture from Spyro they fell to either side, leaving the thinner fur of her abdomen exposed. "There you are."

"Well, you didn't really rip it, so I'll have to dock some points." Spyro narrowed his eyes and played with a vine between his thumb and forefinger for a few seconds.

"I'm going to need you to be quiet now." He gave her a telling look, his eyes letting her know that he wanted to make a few aggressive moves, and giving her a chance to tell him if she wasn't ready for that. She didn't want him holding anything back, and he surely saw that in her eyes, because in the next moment she felt the vine anchor itself on her neck and wrap tightly around her mouth. If the magical feat was difficult for its complexity then it didn't show in Spyro's self-satisfied smirk. "That's better. I wanna take my time with this. Really _enjoy myself_ , ya know? Don't bother answering. I know you're a little tight-lipped at the moment." All Elora could do was groan at the pun, falling further under his control with her inability to speak.

"Such soft, fluffy little goat legs." She had no chance of protesting that either, and she squirmed as he ran his hands over her thighs, squeezing tightly whenever and wherever he wanted. He gave her pussy a little rub before moving higher, paying special attention to the way her fur gradually thinned further and further along her belly until it gave way to hairless skin just above her bellybutton. Her skin's light complexion matched the white fur that gave way to it, her vibrant orange fur continuing up her sides and over her snout, framing her body brilliantly in the direct sunlight. The morning chill of the beach had already made her tits quite perky by the time he got to them, and the sight widened Spyro's smile as he started to grope Elora's boobs. "Oh yeah, these are even softer than the rest of you." He slid his hands over them, shifted them around a little, and then kneaded them roughly, coaxing a muffled squeak out of Elora. "First pair of my collection."

Spyro saw the smack coming, but didn't bother blocking it. The gesture lacked any bite and he barely felt it, laughing at her and giving her breasts a tighter squeeze. "Ooh, fiesty." That gave Elora an idea, and she smiled against the vine over her lips. She pressed her palms against his snout and neck, pushing feebly at him with a hungry look in her eyes that would seem to contradict her actions, but Spyro could read her intent easily. "Wanna tussle, huh?" He said, playing along. He released her boobs to take hold of her arms, digging his claws in just enough to thrill her with the prospect of how dangerous he could be when provoked, pulling her arms away until she couldn't reach his face. "You should know better than to keep a dragon from his treasure by now." She arced her back to give him space to shove her hands beneath her, breaking the illusion of their game a little to expadite her next level of bondage, and one of the lower vines from her dismantled dress quickly wrapped around her wrists. Spyro commanded the vine to tighten gradually, watching her face as he did, and his expression became more excited the longer that went on, the grip of the vine painfully tight by the time Elora finally nodded, signalling him to stop at that level. He was sure she'd have a rough time getting herself free without his help. "I guess you like it rougher than I thought." The affection in his voice betrayed how happy he was that she trusted him so deeply, and she looked away, blushing hard.

"You're so pretty that I could just fuck you all day. In fact, I think I will." Spyro chuckled, teasing her nipples with his thumbs, letting out just enough ice magic to make them as pert as they could get. He took his time with her, just like he said he would, rubbing his thighs against hers and running his hands against her sides. "I've always wanted to taste milk from the source." While he stroked her belly he leaned his face down and licked each of her nipples in turn, circling them to tease her aereolas. "I wonder just how much attention these need before you'll give me what I want. I did skip breakfast for this, afterall." His hands both closed around the boob on his left while his lips closed around that nipple, all of his attention going to one at a time. He was relentless, suckling hungrily and kneading her boob at a steady rhythm, waiting until he heard her huffing through her nostrils to switch to the other breast and repeat the process while she squirmed helplessly. After that he pushed her boobs together, groping them roughly and sucking hard on one tit, then the other. Back and forth he went, his cock sliding free of his sheath and parting his slit, his ridges pressing against her pussy as he started to grind their hips together, Elora moaning into her improvised gag. Finally, Spyro got what he wanted, feeling first a trickle against his tongue, and with the next suckle he had a full stream of her milk in his maw. He greedily sucked up more, squeezing her boob to force more out, and when he had a full mouthful he swirled his tongue around in it, savoring the taste. He swallowed her milk with slow, indulgent gulps, and then moved over to her other tit for another dose.

While he was enjoying the power rush of getting her to lactate for him he lowered one hand just long enough to line himself up, thrusting his tip just past her lips. She moaned as he gradually worked his way further in to let her adjust to his size, suckling up another mouthful of milk as he did. After he gulped the milk down he smacked his lips and gave an appraising hum. "Not bad, Elora. Not bad at all." His hands suddenly shot down to grip her hips and he pulled her to him, his cock digging deeply into her pussy and her legs forced further apart by his firm thighs. Her yelp of shock was easily heard through the vine, and the sound coupled with her vacant eyes made him smirk sadistically. "Guess you wouldn't be used to dicks as big as mine, or as warm, and well shaped, also attached to a stud with a lot of muscle." He drove himself into her again to accentuate his point, his tip kissing her cervix as their hips loudly slapped together. Her groan was more subdued as she started to adjust to him, her voice dripping with arousal. "You'll have to hold your applause; I don't feel like untying you yet."

Spyro started to hump Elora at a smooth, relaxed pace, watching her breasts shaking with every thrust while small trickles of milk leaked from her nipples, and a strand of drool started to dribble down her jaw. "You look great like this." She just moaned, unable to move or speak as he fucked her at his leisure, enjoying the warm embrace of her soft pussy, her juices splashing into his balls until they were dripping with feminine fluids. Elora felt like she was being drawn into a sexual trance, trapped beneath Spyro and her pleasure held captive to his whim, mounting with the torturous slowness of his hips, until he finally leaned down to whisper a warning. "Brace yourself, babe. I'm done with the foreplay." Elora shifted her arms uselessly under herself and glanced down at where they were joined, feeling his claws digging into her hips as he tightened his grip. She lifted her legs straight up to give him more room, squeezing her hands into fists with anticipation.

Spyro bared his teeth and started to growl and thrust rapidly, Elora squealing loudly as he did. Her head fell back into the sand, the rapid smacking of their hips drowning out the sound of the waves, and Spyro's growled out grunts still louder than that. Elora was so overwhelmed by the swift and continuous invasions of his cock that she hardly felt his claws breaking her skin, trickles of blood staining her fur. "Mine. You're _mine!_ " She mewled pathetically, her hooves twitching above his head. "What was that?" He mocked playfully. "Speak up!" He let out a particularly long exhale and the vine over her face went slack, falling away from her lips. "Say who you belong to, Elora."

"Spyro! I'm Spyro's slut!" Elora degrading herself was all the signal he needed to know she'd enjoy hearing him doing so too, and he took a few slower, rougher thrusts to savor the thought, his tip breaching her cervix a few times, his balls thoroughly soaked in her fluids.

"That's right, bitch. Scream my name!"

"Fuck me, Spyro!" He was so much stronger than any satyr Elora had ever been with, and when he lifted her hips higher for better access his thrusts started pressing her roughly into the sand. With her arms tied she couldn't keep herself balanced, her stability ensured entirely by Spyro's clawed grip and firm dick, his girth stretching her beyond what she was used to. His possessive expression and grit teeth both frightened and excited her; it was a side of her friend she'd never seen before. "Spyro! Oh, take me, Spyro!" He adjusted his stance again, supporting her fully with his thighs and his throbbing cock, freeing his hands to explore her body again, his claws closing around her breasts and squeezing hard, making her squeal. "Aah!" She adored being so thoroughly used, losing herself to Spyro's ravenous affection and moaning out his name again and again.

"Yes!" Spyro stared Elora down while he fucked her, and felt a rush of power when her expression became blissful and blank, her voice failing to produce anything intelligible beyond his name in that moment. "I'm going to mark you, inside and out. My third girl. Nnnff!" His tail straightened out behind him and his arms shook while Elora's cunt gripped him more tightly, her body near the edge of climax from his relentless assault. His focus was devoted to the slick, wet embrace of her soft, tight pussy, but he kept his eyes open to watch her pant between moans, savoring looking down at her in her state of primal desire. "Mine. This is mine! Hng!" He roared victoriously when came, slamming down hard and filling her womb with his seed, his tip past her cervix. She mewled and squirmed her legs about pointlessly, riding out his release on the very edge of her own. Before she could compose herself enough to complain that Spyro finished earlier than she wanted, she felt an intense chill against her clit. Spyro was roughly digging his thumb into her clit and staring her down again. "Cum for me, _now_." She turned away and grit her teeth, feeling the ridges of his cock digging into her as he throbbed, coating her pussy in more of his warm seed. "Cum, Elora." She stretched up her neck and screwed her eyes shut, Spyro firmly pinching her clit. "Cum."

"Spyro!" Her body gave in just as he was finishing, her pussy milking him for all she was worth, and he sighed with satisfaction at the result. He listened to her quiet little squeaks while he slid his hand back to her hips, gradually lowering her back to the ground and humming happily to himself. She was still lost in mindless euphoria when he laid his head down between her boobs, smiling broadly.

"Mine." He muttered again, his cock still buried deep in her pussy, his cum leaking out to stain her fur. He nuzzled her tits and slid his hands under her back, using his magic to unbind her wrists and gently massaging them with his fingers. The gentle aftercare slowly brought Elora back to full awareness, and she moaned happily.

"That was amazing, Spyro." Elora had wanted him to have his way with her, as if to make up for the lost time that she felt was her fault, but he'd surpassed her expectations of what he could do with that power, and she definitely wanted to let him tie her up again.

"There's more where that came from, but I'd rather go back to the castle and wash all this sand off before round two."

"Spyro?" He glanced at her face after hearing the question in her voice, but continued rubbing her wrists, giving them the occasional kiss as he worked. "I hope Cynder and Ember are back before round two starts." Spyro's cock twitched inside her at those words, his smile growing wider. "I wonder just how much you can do with that vine trick of yours."

"Oh dear, sweet, naive Elora. I was just getting warmed up." Spyro's world had changed. Elemental abilities he had previously used to fight or compete had so many new potential applications, and he couldn't wait to start combining his new tricks in unique ways. In a few more days' time he'd have deals to make, parties to throw, and competitions to win, but that day was just for him and his girls, and he knew it was going to be great.


	8. Obsession

Obsession

In the dark of the night, within the bowels of a great mountain, just past the border of the Dragon Realms, three young dragons schemed. They were the Knifetails' most capable leaders and they schemed together, but they also schemed against one another, always subtly searching for weakness. Only the strong were fit to lead, afterall. The Knifetails were obsessed with keeping only the most fit leaders in power, so they could stay ahead of the monstrous creatures of the night that they wished to supersede.

"So, that's it then." Slither may have been an expert at hiding her true emotions, but Cynder had known the thin green dragoness for too long to be fooled. Cynder could tell that Slither suspected the story she'd been told wasn't entirely true, but Cynder just nodded her head with a smug smile. "The Purple Dragon wants the Tome of Mistress Valenar."

"Yes, and I'd rather not stand in his way." The green fire in the pit at the center of their hidden meeting cave cast the faces of the three dragons in an eerie light, and within the flicker of the flames a vision came into view, conjured from Cynder's imagination with a wave of her hand. It showed distorted images of Spyro spitting massive gouts of flame into battalions of gnorcs, then lightning coming down to strike great rocs from the sky, and finally lasers and cannons roaring from towering battlements. "Making an enemy of the single greatest dragon of our generation would be foolish enough if there were only social consequences, but Spyro has mastered all forms of combat known to our kind and then some. He can be an asset, or he can be an obstacle. I would choose the former."

"Of course," came the deep, powerful voice of Blackout, his expression stoic and unimpressed. "And I'm certain you determined as much _before_ you allowed him to plow you into the ground." The sudden accusation shifted Cynder's focus, and a vision of Spyro's long, thick cock came into view, rendered in fantastic detail, as if Cynder had been paying the real thing a great deal of close attention recently. Slither gasped from the sight while Cynder frantically dispelled the illusions, attempting to hide her embarrassment behind an indifferent expression.

"I had a chance to mate with the Mage-Slayer and I took it." She smiled smugly, her wings fanning out in a show of dominance. "And yes, he was better than you." That shut Blackout up quite soundly, the male too flustered by her boasting to restate his concerns in a more constructive manner. "I say we let Spyro have the Tome, and I shall help him acquire it. By the privileges of one of his mates, I will learn the spell we need from it and pass that information on to the two of you. While it is true that the tome itself can grant great power to the caster who holds it, our objective doesn't require that power. The spell will do, and no more children will be taken in the night."

"A sound plan." Slither stalked around the fire to Cynder, breaching protocol and placing a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "But you forget that your past isn't a mystery, Cynder. Spyro is more to you than to anyone else. You've known him since you were both much younger. If you make this your last mission for the Knifetails and remain with Spyro afterwards, I will understand." Cynder looked down at the ground, clearly conflicted and thinking over the possibilities. "I will always trust and confide in you, Cynder, whether you stay or not. You've been selfless for far too long. If he makes you happy, stay with him."

As far as Slither was concerned, having Cynder live with Spyro permanently would be immensely valuable to her future efforts. Spyro had always held a slight distrust of the Knifetails due their methods, particularly the use of dark magic, but he had an obvious soft-spot for Cynder that could be exploited. By stoking the passion that drew Cynder to Spyro's harem, Slither would finally be cashing in on all the work she'd done to earn Cynder's trust and friendship. Helping her rise in the ranks quickly had been part of that plan, just as letting her go now was. It would be laughably easy to keep track of what Spyro was doing and what his disposition was through future conversations with Cynder. So, another piece in Slither's game was falling into place, and Cynder had no reason to do anything other than play her part. Everything would simply work out fabulously for all involved.

"Thank you, Slither. I guess I just didn't want to leave all this behind. I've spent so much of my life on this..."

"You won't unlearn what I've taught you by leaving my service." Slither giggled, shaking her head. "Just don't be a stranger. Come by for a chat every few weeks and we can trade stories. I wouldn't mind hearing all about the heroic exploits of Spyro the Mage-Slayer from someone who really knows him, and I'll keep you up to date on everything going on here; I might still need your advice."

"Why not come to the party he's throwing, then?" That stalled Slither's train of thought, her smile falling away for the briefest of moments. "You could even ask him for a look at the tome yourself, just so you can say you held it in your claws, and he knows quite a few bipeds that I'm sure he'll invite."

"Pah!" Blackout finally made his presence known again, sneering at Cynder over the fire. "Lives are at stake and you have time for parties?"

"By the time the party starts, you'll have the spell and this shadow beast will be stopped. Besides, I'm pretty sure Spotlight will be there." Blackout's expression softened immediately, and he lowered his head apologetically.

"Well, it would be nice to see her again."

"And only Zeroes are invited," Cynder continued, "which means no nagging from the Elders, and plenty of quality drugs. Spyro will post about it on Realmbridge when we've decided on a date." Slither internally took note of the fact that Cynder seemed like she had already been one of Spyro's mates before the meeting started, confirming that Spyro himself was to thank for her willingness to do exactly what Slither wanted her to. It was exceptionally convenient for the daughter of Venera.

"We wouldn't miss that for anything." Cynder would spend one last night in a Knifetail den, and in the morning she would return to Spyro to complete one final mission, for the good of all dragons as young as he was when they first met. All she had to do was trust in Slither's plan.

* * *

Ember had certainly endured a long night, but the majority of her trouble had come from her own worries about how she would spend the next morning. Her mother had been very supportive of her decision; in spite of her close involvement in the rest of Ember's life compared to most dragon parents, she did want all of her children to find fulfillment in their own lives as soon as they could. Ember's father had not been present, but her mother's other two mates had been, and she had expected their lack of interest. It was her mother she was truly going to miss, so she'd promised to visit from time to time. After all of that was said and done, Ember was struck by the fact that she had decided to strive away from her parents' home without a real job, and was entirely dependent on Spyro. Thus, she had begun to fret.

She trusted him completely, of course, but she didn't wish to be a burden. If her stay with him was going to be funded entirely by him then she resolved to be the most helpful and pleasant keeper of his home she could possibly be. Unfortunately, the poor male didn't seem to know everything a home needed, and that left Ember with the dilemma of deciding what to spend her very limited gems on in the morning. She was fretting so furiously about what to buy that she complained about her predicament to Spyro over a text message, but he was obviously busy speaking with Elora. The delay in his response cast her thoughts to the reason why, and then she began to fret about _that_ situation too, hoping that the faun would find it in her heart to embrace draconic customs. More than anything, she just wanted Spyro to be happy.

Then, while she was stressing over prices for various seasonings, Spyro sent a reply. "That's no problem." She read. "Tell me your routing number. I'll send you some cash." So she did, and in a few more seconds her eyes popped fully open as she gawked stupidly at her new bank balance. "Let me know if you need anymore." He sent next, but Ember knew she had more than enough. Not only would she be able to properly stock the kitchen and the bathrooms, but she'd be able to shop around in the more fun parts of the market to buy Spyro something special. In fact, her mind even turned to the possibility of getting quite a few things for herself.

"Oh, I could get used to being mated with such a rich dragon." She mused privately to herself, her chest puffing out with pride in her mate. Again she was amazed at her luck, but it didn't slow her down, because she knew that Spyro truly returned her affections. After setting a stack of plates in a cart, Ember immediately realized that her contented daydreaming had distracted her from the task at hand. "Guess I'll need to rent out some kind of transport before I start buying anything. I'll need to load it as I go now that I can afford to get _everything_ that we need." Resolving to do just that, Ember set out, eager to return to her new home with the treasures of the market in tow.

She'd struck a deal with a mabu shipping company to lend her a truck and driver in an hour and a half when a familiar black dragoness swooped down beside Ember with a bright grin on her face. "Spyro told me you might need help with a few things, and I don't want to head back without you anyway. What all are we picking up?"

"Only every single essential that boys don't seem to know about." Ember showed Cynder a view of her current bank balance with her phone, Cynder gasping and pulling her head back in shock. "I know. His extravagant wealth is a lot more shocking when you're holding a piece of it in your claws." Cynder just nodded dumbly, her eyes tracking the phone as Ember returned it to her bag. "Anyway, we've only got an hour and a half to buy everything so I'll let you pick out the rest of the dishes while I start with the bathing products and we'll get the food last."

"Ember." The pink dragoness stopped and turned to her companion.

"Yes?"

Cynder smiled broadly, whispering. "You're even cuter when you take charge." Ember's wings fluffed up and a blush spread on her face, Cynder leaning in to kiss her cheek. "See you at the carrot stand."

Ember was left speechless for a good long minute, but soon she let out a contented sigh, watching Cynder fly off. "I'm going to buy us matching leather bondage sets."

* * *

Slim at her waist, but shapely at her hips. Soft to the touch, but sharp were her claws. So tuned to her element was she that her claws were composed of crystal, rings of small crystals around her wrists and ankles, and more small crystals grew along her wings, their membranes shimmering with the same rich amethyst color. More such crystals sprouted behind her crest, one on her head, and one on her chest. Her eyes were on the border between grey and sky blue, leaning further toward the former, and her belly plates were an arctic blue, drawing the gazes of others lower. Her scales seemed to shift from an inviting, creamy white in soft light to a provocative and captivating lavender in harsher light. Her scales, plates, and crystals were polished to perfection, with not a single blemish nor nick nor crack on any of them, and careful applications of special lotions kept her appearance as alluring as possible, her perfectly curved and thickened lashes batting at the mirror before her face.

This was Flashwing, and the only dragon whose appearance she admired more than her own was Spyro's. As obsessed as she was with her own beauty and carefully maintaining it, she was even more obsessed with Spyro. She had thrown herself at races she would never have tried were it not for Spyro's interest in such things, training day and night for years to gain the skills needed to meet Spyro in a professional environment, just to be someone he might consider a peer in some way. As it turned out, she had a natural talent for navigating up and down mountains, just as she was incredibly gifted in the use of the Earth element, and going down a snowy mountain really quickly wasn't too far out of her comfort zone for her to work at it. Finally she was on the verge of actually racing against Spyro, and that meant she could meet him properly. She knew that if she got him alone that she'd be able to seduce him, and even more exciting was that he had recently announced that he was on the market. He'd taken two gorgeous dragonesses for his own already, so Flashwing was more certain than ever that she was his type.

Still, being so well-sculpted, particularly at her butt and thighs, didn't come without work. She preferred to do her exercising in the early morning, if possible, while also catching up on relevant news. Some dragons didn't seem interested in watching actual news broadcasts, but Flashwing had recorded quite a few on her DVR. Specifically, she kept every broadcast that had Spyro in it, transferring recordings to external hard-drives whenever she needed to. She turned on her television set and tuned in to DNN, taking an upright posture and extending her arms forward to begin with squats. A commercial was playing on the channel when she turned it on, but funnily enough she still got what she wanted from it. It was an advertisement for Dragon Shores, a popular theme park run by gnorcs, and Spyro appeared in it, being their official mascot. The park had simply been named after its geographical location, which was also simply known as "Dragon Shores," to the infinite confusion of first-time tourists.

The camera was focused on a burly gnorc gesturing to the park behind him with a ringmaster-style staff. "When you want to soak up some sun on the beach, play some fun carnival games, and experience thrilling rides, but you can't decide on which to do, don't sweat it! Just come on down to Dragon Shores and do all three! It's the number one vacation destination for the great Savior of the Realms himself, Spyro the dragon!" Flashwing maintained perfect balance with her wings outstretched and her tail straight as she watched the panning camera bring Spyro into view. The stretches were simple and second-nature for her, so her attention was entirely on Spyro's smug grin and charming gaze while she worked her muscles, warming herself up before the morning jog.

"That's right, Gniles." Spyro replied, facing the camera and tilting his head slightly, his wings giving the small, leisure flick that Flashwing knew meant that he was quite pleased with himself. "After several months of kicking butt and saving people, it's nice to kick back and relax out here, even though saving the realms is laughably easy for me. Whenever I've been without a good fight for too long I hit up the laser-tag arena, so remember to bring your A-game when you come by. If you're feeling really confident you can even go for some of my records at the shooting galleries, just don't forget to enjoy the relaxing sights and sounds of the beach when you're done playing hard. As for me, I'm gonna go grab a martini and soak up a few rays." Spyro winked at the camera and strutted out of frame, the focus returning to Gniles.

"You heard it straight from the dragon's mouth, folks! This is the place to be for anyone who wants to see the Dragon Realms; even the locals love it here! Buy one-day tickets at the gate, or plan your trip on our website. Be sure to talk to our partners at the Dragon's Arms Inn if you're planning an extended stay, and remember to visit the iconic fountain statue of the Great Sea Dragon while you're in town!" The advertisement ended with another gnorc's voice enthusiastically calling out the Park's phone number over footage of various rides, games, and tourist spots, Spyro's voice coming in to say: "Come on down to Dragon Shores, the best vacation spot in all the realms," while the footage was focused on the Gnorc Gnacks souvenir shop, Spyro-themed merchandise on prominent display.

Flashwing knew from experience that the advertisement wasn't exaggerating. Having the direct endorsement of Spyro from the day of its founding had done a lot for Dragon Shores, and the fact that Spyro was so welcoming to the gnorcs right after the incident with Gnasty had garnered all manner of media attention, and the gnorcs themselves were of great interest, making public statements in defiance of Gnasty's misguided war against dragon kind. After Spyro had systematically killed every soldier who stood in his way and Gnasty was locked up it seemed as though the dissenters had become emboldened enough to apply for citizenship in the Dragon Realms, and they left the majority of their species behind them. It was a surreal sight at first, to witness Spyro and several gnorcs speaking casually about business in interviews, all of them comfortable in one another's presence.

Flashwing had moved on to her lunges by the time the actual news had started playing, and a small list of missing children was reported. There was also a cautionary tale about gang violence, and the mentioning of some Earthshaper Golems from Avalar illegally carving out new dens in some mountains to the East of Dragonfly Falls. It was all terribly irrelevant to Flashwing's life, and when the segment concerning the stock market started she decided she was caught up enough on current events to tune out. She paused after her lunges to switch to her DVR, playing an interview of Spyro just after a snowboarding competition victory from two years prior. She laid on her back and started to perform her flutter kicks, letting her mind drift on the soothing confidence of Spyro's voice. She kept her gaze on the screen, watching his expression, imagining being there with him.

Soon she would be. They were both slotted for the same upcoming snowboard race, and she envisioned that she was the one he was speaking to rather than a reporter. In her mind's eye everything else fell away, and she could practically feel him on top of her. Her legs relaxed as she suspended her little workout for the moment, lowering her pristine amethyst claws down her belly and to her winking clit. "Oh, Spyro," she moaned quietly to herself. "I'll be your trophy. Just take me home with you." Her toes curled as her fingers started to rub her pussy, the quiet sounds from her crotch barely noticeable over the voice of Spyro, answering inane questions while smiling at the camera. She couldn't help making a show of pleasuring herself, even though she lacked an audience, working her hips into her lightly thrusting fingers, her back arcing and her wings stretching out slowly along the floor.

If Flashwing could earn the affections of Spyro then she could leave her dull life behind and take up residence in his. No more clocking in to a job she didn't care about to pay rent for a small apartment that wasn't really hers. No more obsessing over Spyro from a distance, unable to properly share how much she adored him. She would finally be able to see him in person every day, permitted to worship his physique alongside other physically stunning dragonesses, her only responsibility to maintain the beauty she'd already worked so hard for. She gasped at the prospect as she played with herself, rubbing against her most sensitive spots, clenching over her fingers and soaking them in her arousal. She wouldn't mind having more time to practice her snowboarding either, having gained ever deeper respect for Spyro along her journey to become skilled enough to compete with him. She pictured the thrill of the race, careening down a snowy mountainside with a vibrant aurora above and Spyro racing beside her, as distracted by her as she was by him. The disparate fantasies of racing against and mating with Spyro played out together in Flashwing's mind, fueling her lust.

A soft moan resounded through the sparse living room, the needy dragoness digging her fingers in deeper and rubbing her palm over her clit. She forced her hips up against her hand with the intensity that the dragon she daydreamed about deserved, half performing hip-bridges in the process, her thighs burning from the exertion. That sensation of strained muscles was pleasant enough alone, but Flashwing also felt electric pulses of pleasure from her groin, and it made her voice sing. Her moaning was unrestrained, carefully practiced shifts of her claws drawing out girly squeaks and yelps, but she had only just begun. Her other hand cupped her own ass, lifted as it was by her strong legs, on its way down to her vent, and once she had fingers in both of her holes at once the real fun started. "Wherever you want to put it, handsome." She spoke encouragingly, assuring herself that anything Spyro might want from her, she'd be able to give it. The thought of pleasing a powerful dragon with such high standards and the hot, creamy reward that she would milk for her efforts sent her over the edge, her holes clamping tightly on her probing fingers, her hips shaking with exertion. Her tongue hung from her panting mouth, her eyes unfocused while she rode out her release, her juices staining her exercise mat below her round butt.

Her expert fingers had brought her to a quick climax, but she wouldn't be truly satisfied until she had Spyro himself buried inside her. Still, it was enough relief for her to get back to her morning routine, and she wasted no time doing so. She had a race to prepare for, afterall.

* * *

"Oh, Sensei." Another of the many dragons fantasizing about Spyro that morning was Camo, who was alone in the midst of the Mountain Crackers' treasure hoard. It was his turn to guard the Tome of Mistress Valenar, but the monotony of the simple job had left his mind to wander and he'd found himself lingering on the thoughts that Rock and High Five had put into his head the previous day. His fingers were wet with his saliva as he stroked himself, his grip almost uncomfortably firm, and his eyes shut so he could imagine that Spyro was the one working him so roughly. The ridges of his cock made wet little popping noises as his hand slid up and down them, and they flared out sharply when he throbbed, his fingertips pressing down between them at his most sensitive spots. He groaned and leaned back, his other arm keeping his back off the floor, his wings fluttering happily.

Camo hadn't ever really been with another dragon before, but he hoped that when he was that he'd be able to last as long as he did in times like these, and he started to tease his tip between his thumb and forefinger as he envisioned it: impressing Spyro with his stamina. "Yes, Sensei. I can keep going until you're satisfied. Nnngh..." The claws of his left hand dug harshly into the floor while he picked up the pace, thrusting his hips against his own grip. Camo desperately wanted to fuck Spyro face-to-face, but he wasn't concerned with the mechanics of how it would actually work in that moment, just picturing their chests pressed together, the legendary Mage-Slayer beneath him, moaning and grinning. "Yes. So beautiful. So perfect." He went at it like that for a good long while, but through the haze of arousal his mind started to make sense of his fantasy, and he realized that he was willing to take Spyro's vent beneath his slit. He had always brushed such ideas off as unsanitary before, but he didn't care anymore as long as he could be with Spyro.

Of course, he was just the learner, and Spyro the Sensei. It was clear who would be the dominant party in their interactions. Thinking of that made Camo's hand slow to a gentle stroke, his expression going pensive. Perhaps the reverse wouldn't be so bad either, he thought, lowering his fingers past his balls and teasing his own vent. "I suppose, if he wanted to..." Camo muttered quietly, trailing off as he slowly pushed his fingers inside of himself, gritting his teeth and groaning from the odd sensation. It was a tighter fit than he'd ever expected, the sensation of spreading around his own fingers as jarring at first as it was pleasant moments later. "Nnnff~" Soon he was thrusting two fingers rapidly in and out of his rear, his legs shaking with a new sort of pleasure that he'd never felt before, and his tail smacked loudly against the ground with every press and prod of his fingers. Once he'd adjusted well enough to feel confident, Camo forced a third finger inside, his vent almost painfully stretched, and if he just focused he could imagine that his hand wasn't there, that those sensations were being caused by Spyro's cock slowly slipping inside, the tip pressing into that extra sensitive spot, making Camo feel so stupid for never having tried this before.

He collapsed onto his back so his other hand could stroke his cock while his fingers stretched his vent, panting like a bitch in heat. It didn't take him long to finish in that position, quietly squealing Spyro's name with a strained voice while he came, his jizz coating his belly-plates and thighs. "Quite a performance, Camo." He went rigid at the sound of Rock's voice, his eyes popping open to see the other male standing a few feet away to his left. "Though I do hope you don't get any of your _excitement_ on the tome. Spyro is counting on us, you know."

Camo's wings drooped and his shoulders slumped, his gaze cast to the floor. "I thought I'd notice if anyone was coming, but I guess not. I'm sorry, Rock. It won't happen again." Rock nodded brusquely, turning away to scan the rest of the room so he could hide his blush.

"Yes, well, it's my turn now so go and wash yourself off, I guess."

* * *

Upon Spyro's coffee table sat a hookah, and between his fingers was the hose. The feeling of the smoke passing to and from his lungs was relaxing in its mildness, considering he often breathed fire of his own making, but the effects of the drug he was inhaling with that smoke were immediately apparent. He would need quite a bit more to be fully satisfied with the results, but a pleasant tingle had already spread through his limbs by the time he was exhaling the smoke from his nostrils, the skylight above letting the sun's rays highlight the soft wisps. Spyro had tried a number of drugs for the sake of experimentation, but Hunter had always advocated specifically for marijuana, and Spyro had come to agree with the cheetah on that front. Dragons typically had much higher tolerance levels than other species, but marijuana being safer than most other options was far from the only reason to prefer it. It could sooth the mind and calm twitchy muscles, as well as enhance physical sensations and make the world look and feel more vibrant, all without any major side-effects when taken in moderation.

More primitive cultures in fringe worlds believed marijuana to be magical, and with good reason. After a second puff, Spyro passed off the hose to his left so Hunter could partake in his personal stash. The fact that marijuana, and indeed most other drugs, were legal in the Dragon Realms was one of many reasons why Hunter had left Avalar behind. The attitude of dragon culture toward substance regulation was informed by their endorsement of individual freedom and the relative lack of coddling for their young, who were expected to be living their own lives rather early in their development. There were particularly dangerous drugs that simply weren't used elsewhere because they were seen as toxins by frailer species, and some of these could potentially be fatal for dragons, but in spite of these being technically illegal, not much was done to crack down on black market circulation. Hunter tried not to think too much about all that, focusing on the positive result such laxness in the authorities had on his personal life. And so, he too took a hit from the hookah, the effect on him much stronger than for the dragon beside him.

Hunter was already giggling stupidly by the time he gave Spyro the hose back, their companions not partaking of their drug of choice. Bianca and Elora were largely uninterested in such things, though the faun was curious due to the excessive use of both marijuana and tobacco in faun culture. She had actually smoked plenty of it when she was younger, but she hadn't particularly enjoyed doing so, and she hadn't minded stopping to work elsewhere in Avalar. From the look on Hunter's face she assumed that Spyro's stock would be a bit too much for her anyway. The past twenty-four hours had been stressful for all of them, regardless of the happy conclusion, but Elora had her own methods for de-stressing. Her gaze swept over the vibrant violets that framed her bosom, and the tiny white flowers that framed the leaves of her dress, all brought into the world for her by Spyro's magic, and she smiled. While Bianca played through more Wiz Brawl tutorials and Spyro exhaled more sweetly scented marijuana smoke from his nostrils, Elora lifted her pan flute to her lips and began to play.

It was surreal for Spyro to finally hear Elora making music, as it was a part of her he'd never witnessed before. Hunter had told him about it, but the retellings always seemed so distant and ethereal, impossible to truly envision. Spyro recognized the soul of the music, as it shared something fundamental with the songs he'd heard in Fracture Hills and Magma Cone, but from the same culture came many variations. What Elora was playing was softer and slower, but reveled just as much in the joy of life. Hunter recognized it in a more direct way, humming along to a song he'd heard from Elora many times in the past, his voice quieting during impressive flourishes of the pan flute that he couldn't keep up with. Spyro simply leaned back, shut his eyes, and soaked it in, sighing with deep satisfaction, his wings draped over the shoulders of his furry companions.

Until his phone informed him that he had some returning residents to let back in. "Keep yourselves entertained. I'm going to lend my muscles to the girls so we can unload everything they bought faster."

"Is that so?" Elora asked, smirking. "And what, exactly, did they buy?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask." Spyro replied honestly, shrugging his shoulders and flicking his wings to the sides. "All I know is that it's going to make baths and meals better."

"Well that sounds good." Elora hopped off the couch and followed Spyro toward the entrance hall, expertly skipping over the floor cushions whilst Spyro weaved around them. "We might as well give the happy couple back there some time alone. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing those two again."

"And _I'm_ looking forward to seeing the three of you naked, laying on top of each other." Elora giggled and blushed, quite excited about that herself.

* * *

Some distance away from Spyro's isolated little world, in Dragonfly Falls, Sparx the magical dragonfly was resting his wings, his weight on his many legs. He'd just finished taking seven female dragonflies in a row, physically satisfied, and recovering for another go in a few hours. As much fun as he was having on his little trip, he did worry about his brother, wondering how much longer it would take his dragon brother to discover the joys of sex.

If only the little insect could carry a phone he might not have been so clueless to recent events.


	9. Love

Love

 _It is a common misconception that "Earth" and "Life" are separate Elements, to borrow the terms the dragons themselves use to describe their magical abilities. This is not true. Nor is "Ice" a separate Element from "Water." It is simply a fact that each Element can be used in several different ways, and most dragons only ever learn to use their Element in some very particular manner that comes naturally to them. I've had the pleasure of knowing a number of dragons who were exceptions to this rule, and those who learned Dragon-kata from Spyro could do incredible things, but as of this writing none have surpassed their teacher. Not only could Spyro use every single Element at the level of full mastery, (Electricity/Tech, Fire/Light, Life/Earth, Water/Ice, Wind/Air, Poison/Virulence, Fear/Compulsion, Shadow/Death,) but he could also combine the Elements with each other and spellcraft, not to mention his more unique abilities…_

\- Excerpt from _"A Study of Dragons"_ written by _"The Professor"_ , published 2222 A.E.

Elora again found herself in the presence of three young dragons, but this time she wasn't anxious about what they may want. When the other girls complimented her new dress she directed their praise toward its maker, Spyro, and twirled on the spot to show it off. The hungry look in Cynder's eyes as she glanced between Spyro and Elora, imagining the events that would have led to the creation of a new dress, made Elora blush. She was proud of her decision, and ready to take the next step. "Alright, let's get all this stuff into the castle." Spyro took to the air while Ember and Cynder carefully removed bundles and bags from a large truck, and when there was enough for him he grabbed some in his dexterous hands and feet, lifting all of the extra weight into the air with a grunt and a few firm flaps of his wings.

Ember watched him fly off with her jaw hanging open, Cynder smiling behind her. "I guess this won't take too long afterall. Help me unload the rest of the heavy stuff first so Spyro doesn't get bored."

"So," Elora started to ask while she stepped into the truck to help. "What all did you buy?"

"Dishes that aren't those boring metal discs Spyro has, for one." Ember replied immediately, directing the others with hand gestures. "Ingredients that I can actually cook with for another. Designer towels for show and decoration, and plenty of big fluffy ones for drying off with. Scale polish, fur cleanser-"

"Fur cleanser?" Elora interrupted with a raised brow.

"Whatever your answer was going to be, Spyro has many furred friends. Thus, fur cleanser." Elora nodded apologetically, passing over a box filled with all manner of soaps. "Now, the third leather bondage set that's fitted for a faun, _that_ I bought because I was hoping you'd say 'yes.'" That momentarily shocked Elora into inaction, much to Ember's annoyance. "Could you pass over the box with the shampoo and the wing wash, please?"

"Right, sure." Elora noticed Cynder inching closer after that, a huge grin on her pointed snout.

"She's fun, isn't she?" The black dragoness whispered, their hips touching from their proximity. "I think Spyro's boldness is rubbing off on her. Probably because he rubs himself off _in_ her so much."

"I'm sure he will again in a few minutes." Elora whispered back, watching Spyro soar back to take another load. "Neither of us were quite satisfied when we stopped, we just decided to wait for the two of you to get back before picking things up again." Elora bumped Cynder with her furry rump as she brought another bundle out for Spyro to carry, clearly able to keep up with Cynder's salaciousness.

"A little more from the right, please. I want all of the soap gone before we start pulling clothes."

Elora shook her head and whispered, "I can't wait to hear what she sounds like when she's being railed."

"Oh, it's the loveliest sound."

"You don't sound half-bad yourself." Cynder and Elora froze up, Ember giggling at them. "You're half a meter away and are standing in an echo chamber. I can hear everything you say."

"You make a good point, Ember." Cynder acquiesced, setting down another bundle and looking directly into Ember's eyes. "Next time I'll just compliment your voice openly. It's divine, by the way." Ember managed to keep her composure in spite of Cynder's comments, urging them to hurry things along and squeezing into the truck to help. Eventually they had everything moved to the entrance hall, the driver able to take his leave, and then came the task of moving everything to its proper place, something that would take them quite a bit longer.

* * *

"They sure are taking awhile with all that stuff." Bianca said, having just finished another single-player Wiz Brawl game-mode. She fancied that she was actually getting quite good at it. "Do you think we should go help them?" Hunter shook his head, clearly enjoying the feeling of marijuana coursing through his body. "And why not?"

"You've just got to think about it, is all." Bianca quirked a brow at him, unimpressed. Hunter sighed and leaned in close, resting a hand on her inner thigh casually. "He's with his girlfriends. They could start getting all gross and romantic any second, kind of like us." Bianca blushed in response, gently stroking his arm with her fingers. She had to admit to herself that he had a point, especially after he accentuated it by giving her a long, slow kiss. "You need to try relaxing a little. If they needed our help then they'd ask for it."

As if summoned by Hunter's words, Spyro entered the room with a bundle of plates on his way to the kitchen, glancing in their direction. "Hey, could you guys give us a hand with this stuff? We have to wash each dish before we can put it away. Seems like it might take us all day."

Bianca gripped her wand, a number of spells and possibilities coming to mind. While Hunter was groaning that all that work would ruin his high, Bianca stood and started to follow Spyro, waving a hand at him dismissively. "It won't take that long. You have a sorceress, remember? I'll get everything cleaned and stored while you bring me more to work with. That means you too, Hunter." The cheetah groaned on his way out toward where Spyro had come from, muttering about robots being perfect for such a basic physical task.

"You sure about this, Bianca? Even with magic, that's a lot of work for one person." The others had caught up with them, packs of dishes, spices, and ingredients being placed in front of the sorceress.

"She wants to impress us." Cynder stated simply, nodding at the rabbit. "I'm sure she can manage it. Come on, lets get the rest and move on to the bathrooms."

"I'll stay," Ember said, sitting beside Bianca and studying the space with her. "I have an idea of how I want things organized already."

"Ember, could you open up all these packages for us?" Bianca said, fiddling with Spyro's dish-washing machine and three-division sink. "Yes, this will do." She held her wand toward the dishes and focused, muttering an incantation and giving the wand subtle flicks. Soon they'd begun to levitate, and after the first plate settled into place in the washer the rest moved with more speed as Bianca became more confident in her actions. It seemed that half of the dishes matched Ember's sensibilities: colorful and decorated with intricate designs around the edges and on the flats, a few rimmed with gold and goblets adorned with jewels. Still more plates, bowls, and mugs followed those, clearly picked out by Cynder instead. Black mugs with red interiors, bowls with sigils around the rims, and mixed color marble plates that were quite a bit larger than one might expect. Then there were the cooking implements and utensils, and Bianca wasn't anywhere near finished when the washer was full. She started it up and flicked on the sink with her magic, levitating the dishes over in groups of similar shape and size, while Ember filled the first division of the sink with just enough soap.

After that division was full, Bianca flicked her wand and pushed the faucet over so she could start rinsing off the soap, her eyes searching for something to dry them with. Hunter had just arrived with another package, and Ember dove over and fished something out of it. "Here, use these!" Ember tossed several wash rags into the air and Bianca deftly caught them with more of her levitation magic, guiding them into place and enchanting them to dry the dishes for her.

"That looks complicated." Hunter noted worriedly, dishes rapidly flying through the air.

"She can handle it." Ember replied, reassuring the spellcaster. "I'm going to show you where to put things when they're dry, okay?" The intricacy of Bianca's spell-work grew as Ember pointed out where she wanted everything kept, and after they'd brought everything from the entrance hall the others scrambled to keep up with Bianca's pace, shoving food and spices into their places. Bianca's rags quickly became too damp to be useful, but before she was stalled for too long Spyro took notice and magically pulled the water from them with his elemental mastery. Working so quickly and with such complexity was thrilling for Bianca, for it showed how much she'd improved as a spellcaster over the years. "That's perfect, thank you!" All too soon she was finished, but Ember's praise did bring a smile to her lips.

"That was actually really fun. What's next?"

Cynder chuckled quietly, shaking her head. "Nothing nearly as challenging. Just bathroom supplies and clothes."

Bianca's ears perked up at the mention of clothes, especially from a dragon. The dragons she'd seen often didn't wear clothes, but when they did the designs seemed esoteric, their purposes not entirely clear to an outsider. "Would these clothes happen to form cute outfits?"

"Cute _and_ sexy." Ember answered with an excited whisper. "Just wait until you see them."

"Forget waiting, lets just hurry up." Elora urged, trotting back over toward the packages. "I'm tired of being out of the loop on this, and I need to try on that lea- uh, thing that you bought me." As they rushed off together, Spyro watched them with a contemplative look, lagging behind with Hunter.

"They seem to be getting along pretty well." Hunter's tone made Spyro's wings flex in restrained offense. It sounded as though the cheetah didn't expect that status quo to remain stable for long.

Still, Spyro smirked. He would enjoy proving Hunter wrong in his assumptions. "Yep. Our girls adore each other." Hunter's fur bristled for a reason he couldn't place, but he forced down his discomfort. He had felt the same bristling every time he thought of Elora having to share Spyro, but if she was happy with the arrangement then it really wasn't his place to judge. Perhaps Spyro did have some plans brewing that were worth being nervous about, yet Hunter couldn't imagine that his friend would hurt him, so he let it rest. He trusted Spyro, even when they didn't agree on certain issues. The rest of the items from the market were put in their places without incident.

Satisfied with all he'd seen, Hunter had no issue taking his leave with his wife while Spyro's mates were arranging their new clothes and accessories in a massive walk-in closet. Bianca was hopping happily the entire way back to the portal that led to the Artisan home, having made a good impression on the dragonesses, and they'd all decided on a date for the upcoming Zeroes' Party, explicitly inviting Hunter and Bianca along. In about a month's time they would return, and the young sorceress would be surrounded by dozens of young dragons in a relaxed setting. Finally, she'd be able to integrate into the community that she'd been living within with a distant nervousness for years. Before they could step through the portal, it rippled and out flew another dragon on insect-like wings, the three of them stumbling to a stop in their mutual shock from the chance meeting.

"Uh… hi." The couple returned his greeting with quiet muttering, not sure what to think. "I guess you're Hunter and Bianca?" They nodded. It wasn't uncommon for dragons whom they hadn't met to know who they were, especially the young ones, since they were featured prominently in the biographies on Spyro's exploits. "Well, I'm High-Five. Nice to meet you, I guess. I was coming by to give a message to Spyro."

"What?" Hunter asked, befuddled. "Why can't you just use your phone or Realmbridge or-"

"Don't tell anyone I was here!" The frantic tone in High-Five's voice shut Hunter up quick. "I only risked telling you my name instead of bolting right back because you're friends of Spyro's, alright? This is top-secret stuff, got it?"

"Gang stuff, you mean," Hunter shot back, making Bianca gasp and cover her mouth. Luckily, High-Five didn't seem offended at all, just rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he hovered there. "I'll call Spyro with my phone and tell him to expect a guest, but won't say your name on the line. Sound good to you, buddy?" High-Five nodded back, smiling at how helpful and understanding the cheetah seemed to be. He could respect his laid-back demeanor, too. "Might wanna check in through us next time, or talk to Spyro about getting your own security clearance. Old Spyro has decided to build himself a house that can kill his enemies for him, and it's all run by computers." Before High-Five could ask any questions about that, Spyro answered Hunter's phone-call. "Hey, Spyro, you got the defenses on code white still? Good. You've got another guest coming so stay decent. Nope, I'm not tellin'. It's gonna be a surprise." Hunter laughed while Spyro was huffing at that last bit, and then they said their goodbyes and hung up. "Alright, false alarm, but you can never be too careful."

Bianca had been debating what to say the entire time, but she knew she had to commit to something right then, before High-Five could just awkwardly flutter off from the stilted meeting. "High-Five, would you be interested in magic, by chance?"

That may have been the wrong thing to say, or so she mused as High-Five started to look back and forth as if searching for listeners. "Can't talk about that right now. Another day, maybe. Top secret stuff on that front."

"What about _after_ your top secret stuff is all wrapped up? Some days or weeks from now? Or however long it takes?" High-Five tilted his head at her, but continued listening as she went on. "In spite of our connection to Spyro, we've had trouble making friends with our neighbors. You're free to visit us, if you want." High-Five had reached the position of lookout for the Mountain Crackers for a reason, and he picked up on the quiver of uncertainty in Bianca's voice as she tried to decide if she should speak more formally or perhaps move to more relaxed phrasing and colloquialisms. She was trying far too hard to impress him, or at least gain his future attention, and the glances Hunter gave her had an odd sort of worry to them. He smirked, understanding immediately.

"A lady of the Order I see." She stiffened, but he hovered lower and nodded apologetically for startling her with his observation. "That little detail didn't make it into the biographies." He delicately lifted Bianca's hand to his lips, kissing the soft fur there, sending a tingle through her skin. His mere touch as a dragon of the Element of Life made her feel somehow cleaner and rejuvenated, the air sweeter on her lungs until he let go. "But I have an eye for these sorts of things. I look forward to meeting you again, many times, student of magic." While Bianca was standing stock still in shock and joy, High-Five merely turned to Hunter and nodded leisurely, showing much less formal mannerisms toward the cheetah. "Until next time, then."

Hunter clenched his claws into his padded hands as High-Five fluttered off. Oddly enough, that bristling feeling was back.

"Hunter," Bianca began, smiling softly at him. "Are you jealous?" He flushed in response, not ready to confront his emotions on the matter. His wife teased him relentlessly anyway. "I'm sure you can manage the regalness if you really want to impress me. You are a prince, afterall." Except that he wasn't anymore, not in his own mind. Surely he'd spent royal money before officially leaving his kingdom, and he'd relied on his father to get him out of a prison once, but there was a reason he lived with dragons rather than rule an entire kingdom in the Great Savannah. After everything he'd seen and all the battles he'd fought to prove himself, to prove that he wasn't just a title, he'd only succeeded in proving that the realms were exceedingly dangerous and that Spyro was capable of keeping the peace. The cheetah shuddered at the thought of not having the purple dragon near, and so he stayed in the dragon realms. "Hey, are you alright?" Bianca was starting to worry. He hadn't used fear as his excuse for them to live in the Dragon Realms. He simply couldn't admit that, even to his wife.

"I'm fine, just coming down from my high." He lied, managing a fake, casual smile. "Come on, lets go home. I can't wait to get you out of those robes."

* * *

"I understand." What had started as a lazy day of waiting for all of his girls to be home together had turned into a test of patience when he realized the time investment involved in getting everything sorted and put away, and now Spyro was contemplating a secret report from a Mountain Cracker who was set on betraying his gang for Spyro's own sake. Nevermind that he could have afforded whatever ridiculous price that Hoss, leader of the Mountain Crackers, might have proposed; apparently, it was too dishonorable to allow him to be extorted for it considering his noble intentions. So, Rock, High-Five, and Camo were going to smuggle the book to Spyro's castle, and he couldn't talk them down, or so High-Five had said. "And what if Hoss finds out what you did?"

"That's part of the plan, at this point." Spyro was certainly surprised to hear that, but High-Five took another pull from the hookah on the coffee table before he continued. They were back in the main entertaining room, as if this were just a social visit, Spyro having offered to share his marijuana to make High-Five feel welcomed and relaxed. "Look at it like this. Scenario one: three young gangsters are tasked with protecting a valuable object from theft after almost failing to do so before, and then they truly fail. The book has disappeared at the worst possible time, and the disgraced dragons leave their gang with their heads hung in defeat. Scenario two: the same thing appears to happen at first, but the truth is revealed at the right moment, and we're evicted from the Mountain Crackers then and there with victory written on our expressions for a job well done. Which do you think is better for our reputations?"

"And which do you think is better for mine, or didn't you consider that?" High-Five wilted slightly as Spyro snatched up his own puff from the hookah, thinking hard. He looked around the room, absorbing the expressions of his mates, whom High-Five had allowed to listen in only because of that distinction. Elora looked like a cross between mildly irritated and bored, the meeting reminding her of her political work in Avalar. Ember was looking to the boys sadly, but her eyes glimmered with the hope of a satisfactory resolution. Cynder's expression was blank and unreadable, far too much so, as if she didn't trust High-Five, or she may have been hiding some secret of her own. Spyro shook that last thought from his mind. He had to trust her. If he couldn't then he would go mad.

Spyro returned his focus to High-Five, speaking levelly. "In either scenario, the Great Mage-Slayer is painted as a scheming coward, willing to make promises to meet peacefully and do business only to exploit that as a cover to steal with. Not to mention that if Hoss finds out what you're doing while I'm not present he may extract revenge, and I won't be able to keep you safe. He is older, larger, stronger, and less honorable than you. Your plan is too risky." To Spyro's surprise, High-Five shuddered and sniffled, fighting to suppress emotions he'd hidden for the rest of the meeting.

Ember circled around and placed a gentle hand on his back, looking to Spyro pleadingly. "Please, Spyro." High-Five said, his voice a little shaken. "This book, it's not natural. It doesn't belong with us Earth dragons. It doesn't belong with anyone! It whispers things when read. Twists the mind. You must take it and lock it away."

"And yet," Cynder cut in, "the Mage-Slayer cannot look weak, nor tarnish his honor, as either invites others to try exploiting the perceived weaknesses for profits later."

"I thought you promised to drag me away from politics, Spyro." Elora joked, hoping to ease the tension in the air, but the only one in the room who was relaxed was Spyro. A smirk was forming on his face as a thought came to him, and he took another indulgent pull from the hookah before rubbing his fingers together and leaning toward High-Five his wings raised in triumph.

"Why hide? Why sneak and steal? We are dragons, afterall. Let us take in plain sight. Scenario three: the three of you do your duty to your gang and protect the book, bringing it with you to the meeting place as directed by Hoss. Then, in view of everyone present, Hoss will insult us all and his gang by proposing his ludicrous price. Then you simply walk the book over to my mates and I, putting me between you and Hoss, and call out his dishonor openly. With that cited as a legitimate reason to switch allegiance, I will explain the importance of protecting the realms from the dark magic of the tome, and the favor of the crowd will likely shift to us. I will be able to shield you from Hoss, everyone's reputation is strengthened, and it won't cost us any Gems." Spyro leaned back on the couch and spread his limbs lazily while everyone else caught up with everything he'd said, the tension in the air was replaced by shock, awe, and a sprinkling of joy. "How does that sound?" He asked smugly, Cynder licking her lips while she watched him, Elora laughing openly. Ember rubbed High-Five's back with a compassionate smile, a sigh of relief leaving the Life dragon's muzzle.

"That'll work, yeah. You're fucking scary sometimes, Spyro." He just shrugged in response, basking in the moment. "I need to run it by the others, of course."

"They'll agree with me." Spyro spoke with utmost confidence, and High-Five nodded, just as certain. "Don't bother sending any more messages unless something changes. I don't want you getting caught." Their meeting concluded, High-Five left with all haste, not wanting anyone else to know how long he'd been away from the Mountain Crackers hideout during his assignment to guard Valenar's Tome. Cynder purred that she was going to go 'freshen up' and Elora and Ember nodded along to that, leaving to do the same. Spyro chuckled to himself as he headed to the bathrooms as well, eager to polish his scales just a little before what he knew was coming. Thanks to Ember's extensive explanations, he had a basic grasp on what most of the new bathroom supplies were for. Scales that Ember had expertly cleaned the day before were glimmering even more brilliantly when he was finished, though he was sure that Ember herself would do a better job.

* * *

The looks he received when the three of them entered their bedroom together confirmed that he'd done a good enough job on his scales, but he was sure his own expression gave away how beautiful he thought they were. He had the feeling that Ember had forced the other two girls into the same bathroom so she could oversee the whole thing, and she was even more gorgeous than yesterday. Her wings shimmered brilliantly as she fanned them out for the sake of display, approaching on Spyro's right as he sat on the bed. Cynder's fuchsia wings shimmered just as brilliantly on his left, her unusually long wingspan pleasing to the eye as she spread them to their limit. As Elora nervously inched directly toward him, her fur clean and fluffed and her dress complimenting her curves, Spyro got the impression that they'd formed a plan for the evening.

It was almost like a game, the girls wondering if he could really handle the three of them at once, and too soon his expression shifted as realization dawned. They didn't just have something special in mind as he'd first assumed: they were testing him, to probe the extent of his stamina and how well he could maintain control. Well, four could play at that game, he thought. "Elora, speed up a bit and get on your knees for me." All of them nearly stumbled at the smooth command, giving him intense looks as they reassessed their approach. "The safe-word is 'rhynoc teeth,' in case any one of the _three of you_ needs a break from _just me_." They'd all enjoyed his sexual company before and knew from experience that they'd be enjoying themselves far too much to bother with the safe word, and took its declaration as a challenge more than anything.

"And how are you going to _make me_ kneel, Spyro?" Elora shot back with a playful glimmer in her eyes.

"Do you really want to find out?" He asked smugly, tilting his head and giving them one last chance to take things a little easier. Cynder licked her lips and fell into a stalking pose, her sinuous form creeping closer, and Ember did her best to imitate that on his other side.

"I think," Elora began, "that you know we don't need a safe-word, and you just gave us one to stall us while you think of something to do." So, they definitely wanted to do things the fun way. The thought made him smile all the wider.

"Well, it's been given now anyway, so you only have yourself to blame for this." A vibrant green vine grew from Spyro's hand at a rapid pace, shooting out to coil around Elora's neck and magically tying itself there, and then he yanked down hard and she fell to her knees right where he wanted her, her face inches from his groin. She hadn't expected him to use life magic from such a distance and was busy being stunned while his firm thighs closed around her, his magic flowing through them to bid her dress to fall apart, leaving her as naked as the dragons she was about to mate with. Spyro let the smug confidence leave his voice as he whispered to them. "That kind of thing is what you want, right? You sure you won't be needing the safe-word? Light tapping if you can't talk."

"I'll keep that in mind, so just fuck me already." Elora whispered back just as earnestly. "I've been waiting all day."

"Us too," Ember spoke up next. "And we didn't even get to see you for half of it."

"Come on, Spyro," Cynder started with a tilt of her head and a lecherous grin. "You aren't afraid of getting competitive, are you?"

"No, I wouldn't say that." Ember was sure the others either didn't notice, or just had too much confidence in themselves to put enough stock in it, but she saw his demeanor shift, and he was practically glowing with love, fervent energy, and _lust_. The sight of him leaning over Elora with that small, telling grin, his wings unfurling in a challenging display, made her hips shiver and her cunt wink on the spot. He spoke down to Elora chidingly, stroking the fur on her face with his fingers. "You've told me to hurry, but you're the one who isn't doing your job." A pulse of electric energy surged down the faun's body from the vine around her neck and she moaned in pleasure and surprise, shaking beneath him on the floor. "Start licking." Only the very tip of his cock was poking out of his slit from all the teasing and word games, and she immediately set to fixing that with her tongue, lapping obediently at his slit and the smooth plates around it. Just as he was humming in pleasure, Cynder growled and pounced at him, flapping her wings to slam her whole body into his chest.

As if he'd anticipated her move, Spyro spread his arms before she reached him and casually allowed her to knock him onto his back, smirking from beneath her crotch and gripping the base of her lovely tail in his right hand, his left still holding the vine that acted as Elora's leash. Her freshly polished belly-plates looked even nicer up close. "Start sucking as soon as you can, Elora," he directed, unperturbed, his tail _thwapping_ against the faun's soft thighs as he wagged it.

"Why don't you start licking yourself, huh?" Cynder asked smugly, to which he replied by doing just that, and with ice magic on his tongue at the same time. It seemed he'd been right to try such a trick on her again, the intense cold on her clit having the same spectacular result as it had the last time, but this time he was using his tongue and diving it deep up into her cunny. Cynder moaned uncontrollably, her serpentine body arcing dramatically and her hands desperately pulling Spyro's head to her, though he was already digging right in and barely budged any further. Her juices were rapidly leaking out over his lips and snout as Ember watched, Cynder beginning to feverishly mutter obscenities, having completely lost control as soon as she'd made her move. It didn't take her long to reach her first climax, feeding Spyro a sporadic outpouring of feminine juices. Meanwhile, Spyro was perfectly calm and enjoying himself at a steady pace, his cock only just beginning to emerge properly and his wing beckoning Ember to come closer.

In the face of such sexual prowess, Ember made a decision, and she followed Spyro's gesture up onto the bed. She turned to face Cynder from the front, admiring the sleekness of her body and the polished black scales that shifted as she twisted over Spyro, trying to maintain some self-control while she was coming down from her first release, Spyro relentlessly continuing his assault on her pussy all the while. "E-Ember, do something! Aaaah~!" Ember looked down into Spyro's eyes, seeing in them that he was very much in control as she watched him gaze at her confidently, twirling his tongue around inside Cynder and yanking on the vine-turned-lease insistently. Then her gaze traveled up Cynder's alluring body slowly, finally settling on her face, which vacillated between defeated wincing and enraptured moaning.

"You look adorable like this." Ember leaned in closer, whispering. "I'm not going to help you. Pleasure isn't something to be rescued from." Cynder whimper-moaned at that, shivering from the cold that sent her loins into convulsions. "Why fight our Master when we can submit to him and be given the appropriate rewards?" Ember softly kissed Cynder's cheek while the other dragoness became increasingly feral with lust and pleasure. "Surrender." She kissed again, moving closer to Cynder's lips. "Give up. You can fight him again and again, but he will always beat you, and you know that." Ember gripped one of Cynder's horns and roughly pulled her head back with it, making her gasp. "And you love it," and she kissed Cynder's neck, "and I love that you love it."

"T-traitor!" Cynder tried to rebuke Ember, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice, losing herself to the moment. "I'm gonna- I'm gonna- I can't hold it! Nnnngh..." She came hard over Spyro's face, again, and as her hips trembled over him and he plundered her depths she felt Ember kiss her lovingly, sucking her tongue between her lips and playing with it with her own. Beneath the sway of Cynder's tail-blade Elora finally had Spyro's cock mostly free of his sheath, and she eagerly took it into her mouth, the pull of her leash encouraging her to bury her face in his crotch, her lips tight around his throbbing member as the growing length and its fleshy barbs slipped past her lips and penetrated her throat. He stretched the faun's throat painfully, but gave her enough time to adjust, a muffled moan into him signaling her enjoyment and the start of his leisure thrusts, his strong thighs keeping her in place.

Amongst the strong scent and taste of Spyro's musk, Elora detected pure, invigorating water, and soon a stream of it was splattering down her throat, in much the same way that a non-dragon male might relieve himself, as if he'd been prepared in advance to take advantage of kinks that other species might have. Elora had played with the thought of doing such things before, and was firmly undecided on the matter, but since what he was giving her was more than healthy to drink she had no excuse to prevent herself from simply enjoying the sensation, and she eagerly began to swallow around him, not that he needed her help to force the water deep down her throat. In spite of her own slurping and suckling she could still hear the wet lapping and kissing sounds from the dragons above, and she dipped her fingers into herself, quivering with arousal.

Spyro smirked against Cynder, moaning with satisfaction into her wet cunt, but he'd barely started, his cock twitching in Elora's throat with anticipation. Suddenly she found her face held flush with his groin, his balls on her chin and the water slowing to a trickle in her throat, his girth choking her entirely. She gagged, unable to breathe, until she just _was_ able to breathe, _from his cock_ , elemental air magic filling her lungs. He had to let her pull back to exhale it, but the act was still mind-boggling, her thoughts reeling while he guided her into bobbing her face over him with the vine-leash. Above, Ember groaned into Cynder's mouth as a strange sensation made her tremble, and she looked down to see two more vines wrapped around the base of Cynder's tail where Spyro's right hand had been, his fingers making careful gestures in the air until the vines firmly penetrated Ember's pussy and vent at the same time. She shuddered, the vines magically smooth and pleasant to the touch, and she welcomed their invasion with a roll of her plump hips.

Cynder started clinging to Ember for support, the sheer quantity of pleasing sensations and their relentlessness taking her breath away, or maybe she just couldn't breathe too well while kissing Ember so deeply. In either case, she shuddered when she and Ember landed on their sides, both of their pussies getting a break from Spyro's skillful attentions while he sighed in satisfaction and the vines inside Ember pulled back to tie her and Cynder together at their hips. "Play with each other for a bit, girls." Ember moaned over Cynder's tongue at Spyro's command, their legs shifting so they could bring their pussies together, scissoring against each other. Cynder wasn't even pretending to fight back, climbing to her third peak when she helped Ember reach her first.

"Up, girl." Spyro yanked lightly on Elora's temporary leash, the faun protesting that she had to let his tasty phallus leave her mouth to do as he said with an incoherent whine, but she did obey, climbing up onto the bed with the others. Spyro laid her down on her back, Ember and Cynder writhing together a little further up the bed from Elora's head. Spyro casually laid on top of her, his cock settling on her smooth belly and his balls resting over her winking clit, both of them wet from her insides. He gripped her wrists and forced her arms up along the bed, until her fingers were pressed against the horizontal vents of the dragonesses, all three of them gasping in shock. "Now finger their vents for me, Elora." She didn't hesitate, doing just as he said, Cynder and Ember panting together as Elora added to the pleasure they were already giving each other. "Good girl." He said, starting to suck roughly at one of her nipples.

Spyro lazily humped against Elora's belly while he worked both her tits with his mouth, coaxing milk from them as he had before. Her body seemed to be adjusting to the idea, because it didn't take nearly as long for him to get her milk to spill forth that time, and as soon as her tits released what he wanted he rewarded her by pulling his hips much further back, lining up with her entrance, and plunging right in. The dragonesses gasped against each other again as Spyro's rough hump pushed Elora's whole body up along the bed, her hands digging deeper into the vents that were her charge and her elbows bending. Spyro licked his milk-stained lips as he took in the sight of the three of them, getting another titillating idea. His hands suddenly grasped the bases of Ember's and Cynder's tails and he pulled their gyrating hips apart, creating just enough space before he humped into Elora's soft, slick pussy again, pushing Cynder and Ember closer again with a grip on their rumps, now with Elora's face between them. "Use those nice asses of yours to keep her steady for me, sluts."

They could tell by the tone of his voice and his increasingly dirty words that Spyro was finally enjoying himself as much as they had been, and the thought made Ember sigh happily against Cynder's neck. The two female dragons started to grind their leaking, fragrant pussies into Elora's face, drenching her in a combination of their juices. Elora licked at their crotches and thighs in turn, slurping down their juices as their intoxicating scents made her thoughts hazy, her hands still pleasuring their vents to the best of her ability, Spyro's firm thrusts keeping her trapped in her position. She wouldn't have it any other way, her furry legs meeting at the ankles as she wrapped them around Spyro's hips, encouraging him to fuck her harder. He obliged her with a feral grunt of lust, his hands gripping and kneading into her breasts. She arced her back in pure bliss as she felt her pleasure mounting to a crescendo, Cynder's sinuous tail wrapping around her back and belly possessively as she did. Spyro's tip stabbed into Elora's cervix again and again, until she came harder on him than she ever had in her life, coating him in her juices and squirting against his crotch.

Then he thrust into her again and again as she came, giving her no break and taking as much pleasure from her body as he could. She was still reeling in the afterglow when he pulled completely free and lifted her hips further, his wings spreading and a loud, possessive growl emanating from deep in his chest. "You belong to me, every inch of the three of you, and every hole." Elora's eyes widened from that declaration, but all she could see were dragon pussies, mashing into her face. With a note of triumph in his mild roar, Spyro buried himself deep in her ass, lubricated by her own spit and orgasmic fluids, spreading her tight, warm sphincter and his balls slapping into her round ass-cheeks. "Take it. Take _me_ , slut!" She groaned into her wet meal as he pillaged her ass, his cock oddly cold with ice magic as he fucked her ass so thoroughly, and then it was much colder, and his cock was slapping over her pussy again. For a good long moment she understood nothing as he started slamming deep into her pussy again, her ass still spread around his cock, until it dawned on her that he'd formed a dildo in her rear with ice magic molded to his own shape.

Elora's legs squeezed his hips tightly, showing her approval of his actions, and that just encouraged him to fuck her harder, her holes gripping his throbbing dick and the ice dildo that was held inside her ass by a vine wrapped around it and her waist. Cynder's tail tightened its coil on Elora's lightly bulging belly, Spyro slackening the vines around the two dragons and lifting them up by their arms. He firmly shoved them into position and then pushed down making their cunts rest on Elora's leaking tits, the press of the soft flesh against their pussies making them shudder and moan at yet another completely new sensation, the feeling of Elora lactating into their love tunnels another sensation on that list. "Kiss me, both of you." They did, at the same time, three draconic tongues playing together between their maws, their soft lips peppering his own, his snout, and his chin. Cynder gyrated over Elora's breast roughly but fluidly, drawing as much pleasure from her position as she could, while Ember ground herself on Elora's other breast more slowly, savoring the unique sensation.

Spyro slapped their asses hard with a happy growl, only for Elora to do the same thing in the next second, screaming out in ecstasy. "Yes! Fuck me, my dragons! I love you so much!"

Spyro shuddered with pleasure when he heard that, and then Ember was kissing toward his ear-hole, whispering, "We adore you, Spyro."

"I f-feel amazing." Cynder panted, kissing his lips. "How are you this perfect?" He felt their affection flooding through him, while being peppered with kisses, his cock lovingly gripped by Elora's eager pussy, and he started to _glow_.

He puffed a tiny gout of flame through his nostrils, the fire somewhere between pink and fuchsia, markings of pink magic lighting up the scales on his back, as if he'd been kissed by a fairy. It only lasted at full strength for a second or two before it gradually faded, but it was stunning all the same. "I love you, too." He spoke loud enough for all of them to hear, and to all of them, and then gripped Cynder's and Ember's shoulders, pressing their rounded chests together and mashing their gyrating hips more firmly over Elora's tits. His dick throbbed firmly, his barbs digging into Elora's cunt while he fucked her harder than she'd ever been fucked by anyone else, their hips slapping together rapidly. By the time he moaned in sheer ecstasy and released himself inside her she was cumming again, the orgasmic juices of satisfied dragonesses coating her boobs. "Fuck yes." He panted for a moment, recovering with his girls, and then he looked between Ember and Cynder with a grin. "Wrestle each other for me. Winner gets creamed next."

Cynder tackled Ember instantly, wasting no time and not underestimating the little pink dragoness again. Ember knew when she was beaten and just sighed happily while Cynder was roughly pinning her down, giving the black dragoness a lick on the snout. "You're so cute," Ember muttered, causing Cynder to blush and step back.

"In that case, you're next, Cynder. So long as you keep behaving yourself." She just huffed in false agitation and lifted her tail, presenting her dripping cunt and slick vent. "Elora, why don't clean your milk out of this pussy for me?" Elora pushed herself along the bed on her back, moaning as the ice molded after Spyro's meat shifted around in her ass. "And why don't you put her front to good use, Ember?"

"Well, if she doesn't mind." Ember smirked, stroking Cynder's cheek delicately.

"You already know that I don't. Use me." Ember stood to an upright posture, using her hands to guide Cynder's face into her pussy while Elora was working Cynder's own cunt from below, her face becoming further drenched in dragon juices. Spyro just bent Elora's knees and then sat on her belly, leaning back into her legs and enjoying the show for a moment, letting himself harden back to full mast.

"Good girls. You're doing beautifully." They perked up at the praise, moaning into each other, and then he mounted Cynder's sleek frame and smoothly plunged his massive cock into her vent, burying himself fully after a few merciless thrusts, his balls slapping against Elora's face while she helped him pleasure Cynder. Having her vent fucked made Cynder gasp and sputter, but Ember just rolled her hips against Cynder's face until the other girl calmed down and started dipping her tongue back into Ember's cute little cunny. Cynder must have cum again, because her snatch was gripping Elora's tongue and her juices were squirting over the faun's face, her vent clutching Spyro more tightly with each constriction of her cunt. Spyro didn't hold himself back at all, fucking her ass roughly and driving her hips down into Elora's face, her snout pushed into Ember's clit on every downward thrust. Soon it was too much for Ember as well and she squeaked cutely, panting while she held Cynder's face firmly against her squirting pussy. Then Spyro roared and his balls clenched up to his groin, more of his glorious seed released, this time deep in Cynder's anal vent. When he was nearly finished he pulled out and let the last spurts paint Cynder's ass and Elora's neck, already beckoning Ember over.

Ember was panting as she gradually pulled away from Cynder and fell to a quadruped posture, her hips trembling. She didn't know how much longer she could go without passing out, already at a total loss as to how many times she'd cum, but that thought only made her more eager to see what Spyro could do next; what he was still capable of. He'd only cum twice since they'd started, afterall. He laid down in front of her, gesturing to his softening cock. "Lick me back up and then ride me, hole of your choice."

She tilted her head and pondered for a moment, then called to the others. "A little help with this one?" Spyro's grin widened as they nodded and lowered their faces to his cock as one, surrounding it from three sides and beginning to lick, kiss, and suckle him, Ember occasionally dipping down to service his balls or lick into his vent. It didn't take him long to throb to his full glory again with that treatment, and he wrapped his arms around their heads to hold them there, thrusting leisurely into their faces, marking them with his scent.

"Good job, sluts." He said, releasing them and watching them all shiver with pleasure from his words alone. "Now ride me, Ember." He pushed Cynder down on his left and Elora on his right, such that their faces were at his feet and their pussies were in reach. He wiggled his toes in their faces as he started to finger them and said simply, "Suck them." And Cynder did immediately, Elora only hesitating for a moment before following her example, cleaning the small scales of his toes and the rest of his feet with their mouths.

Ember climbed up onto him, gazing at his happy grin and half-lidded eyes, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. "I belong to you, Spyro. All of me." Getting an idea of her own, she lowered her drenched and trembling pussy over his throbbing cock, letting his barbs dig in deep and squealing from the depth of his penetration, reaching his base and her vent kissing his balls. Then she rose entirely off of him, fluidly rolled her hips forward slightly, and drove herself back down, taking him just as deeply into her vent instead, her juices splashing onto his groin. He grunted in shock as she indulgently twisted herself over him, massaging him with every inch of her soft vent on her way back up, and then she repeated her prior motion in reverse, letting him dig into her pussy again. And again she switched holes, every time she dropped her hips, twisting and gyrating on him whenever she rose, watching his tongue loll out as pleasure took him. "Do you like this, Master? Am I doing good?"

"Ye-yeah," he muttered breathlessly, smiling up at her. "And keep calling me that."

"Of course, Master Spyro." She huffed as she came down on him again, her vent burning from the effort. Taking him from his tip all the way to his base each and every time was more effort than she'd anticipated, and it made her loins burn with slowly building pleasure.

"What about 'Lord'? Say that one." He spoke giddily, digging his fingers against the clits of his other girls, feeling them nip at his toes by mistake as their own enjoyment started to climb yet again.

"Fuck me, my Lord Spyro. Take me, have me, my King. My Liege, my Sire, my Master..."

"Yes! Nnngh! You feel so soft, Ember."

"Fuck me! My Hero! Fill me up! Break me!" Spyro had almost been ready to stop after this last round, but Ember's pleas made his expression harden and he growled, thrusting up into her whenever she started to lower herself again, making her squeak pathetically each time, until she came hard and just kept going, ignoring her own pleasure and not letting the trembling of her orgasm slow her down. Cynder and Elora were driven by Ember's words, grinding themselves against Spyro's sides even as he continued to finger them, until finally he threw his head back and grunted loudly, his hands going still as he started to paint Ember's vent with his seed, and then she pulled up and slammed down on him again, letting the rest of his load settle into her womb. "Thank you, Master! Mmmm..."

Cynder and Elora lifted themselves, puddles of their juices staining the bed as they helped Ember to remain steady and slowly lift herself away from Spyro's hips, the lot of them drenched in sweat and trembling in compounding afterglows. "Okay, I admit it." Cynder shook her head, awe in her expression. "There was no way we could have outdone that."

"Ember," Spyro said before they could say anything else. "Do you want me to break you, like you said just now?" She gulped, looking into his eyes and seeing something she couldn't place in them. She was only certain that he could bring her pleasure she'd never dreamed of, and she simply nodded. "Do you want me to break all of you?" They were all trembling then, excitement mounting as their pulses pounded in their ears. They all nodded together. "Then I'm not finished yet."

They were all buffeted to their backs by a blast of wind in the next instant, and before they knew what was happening they were suspended over the bed by an intricate web of plant life, slick vines plunging into the sopping wet and sore holes. Elora's ass gripped the icy dildo inside her so roughly that it started to make her bleed and cracked, and it slid free and evaporated before it could cause too much harm, as if Spyro could sense her flesh through it. The vines passed them along until they were over the stone floor rather than the bed and Spyro spit fire onto the ground under them, the temperature controlled perfectly to make them perspire and tease their flesh with the heat without harming them. They came against the vines, the _tentacles_ that penetrated them rapidly, Spyro gripping their roots and playing with them like a puppet master. Again and again they came and moaned and squealed while being buffeted by gusts of wind, passed around, twisted and bound further, Spyro moving them around to ensure their juices always landed on another of the girls when they came.

Then Spyro slammed a foot into the floor and a circular structure of brown stone sprouted from the floor where the fire had been, a ring of fire still burning around it to heat it while Spyro spat an impressive stream of steaming water into the impromptu tub from his maw. Then the girls felt a mix of relief and shock when he lowered them into the water, their sweat and juices mingling in the communal pool they'd been given, the tentacle vines writhing into them under the water. He dunked them by spinning them completely around, their heads breaching the water with gasps and groans, follow by convulsions as he sent carefully controlled bursts of electricity into the pool. Cynder enjoyed that part immensely, squealing at the top of her lungs, but the others weren't complaining, Ember's wings splashing the water around as she erratically flapped and Elora's left hoof thumping into the stone beneath her rhythmically.

After several minutes of that, Spyro growing hard again all the while, he extinguished his fire and lifted them from the pool, the water magically dripping from them with unnatural smoothness, leaving them entirely dry, and then a chilly gust cooled them as they were flung back on the bed. The vines had trussed them up perfectly, their wrists tied together behind their backs and their legs tied together too. Ember's wings were also tied down and her tail lifted, tied up with her wrists. Cynder was in much the same situation, but her longer tail was also bound to her neck further up, all three of them fully exposed. Spyro hopped up as they knelt there on his bed, dazed, their vision unfocused. He slapped Elora's boobs casually, watching them jiggle before him. "Perfect." He purred, licking his lips.

He started with Elora, humping up into her cleavage savagely to warm himself up, then twisting around with a flutter of his wings and shoving his vent against her face while he used her tits from the reverse angle. She diligently licked at him as if by reflex, moaning into his ass, and then he pushed her back with his rump and sat on her face, making her lick deeper, her every breath filled with the scent of him. His ass, his balls, his dried cum, and his sweat. He dove his tongue into her cunt viciously while she worked him, fucking her tits hard at the same time, until he was moments from climax. Then he pulled back and shoved himself down her throat, unloading in her while she squirted over the vines on her furry legs.

He pulled out and coated her face and tits with the rest of his gift, and then moved right along to Ember, not needing any time to recover. He shoved Ember's face into the bed and mounted her with speed, drilling his cock into her vent fast and rough, his balls slapping into her pussy as she laid there helplessly, moaning with a weak voice, a massive smile on her face. Cynder's eyes widened as she watched, Spyro fucking Ember into the bed right after a virile orgasm in Elora, still rock hard and rolling his hips to give her as much pleasure as possible. He switched holes at random, inspired by her earlier trick to fuck her pussy and vent equally. He lasted for several minutes at least, though none of them were in a state of mind to count, and Ember likewise lost track of how many times she came while Spyro fucked her brains out. Of course, he'd already released in both of her lower holes that day, and when he was close he pulled out and swiftly moved in front of her, taking her throat with a forceful thrust and making her gag helplessly. He gasped and shook with pleasure when she choked on him, creaming her tight throat then and there as she did, and she was sputtering and coughing past her smile when he pulled out, more of his seed shooting into her lashes and drenching her horns.

Finally he came to Cynder, his expression growing more satisfied and feral with his every climax. She trembled before him, but managed a fake smirk as he shoved her onto her back. She'd been given the most time to recover, but she still wasn't ready when he shoved straight down her experienced throat, the claws of his left hand digging into her cunt with ice magic and electric energy surging into her throat. Even bound as she was her serpentine neck shifted into his thrusts, his balls meeting her snout again and again as she worked her throat against him, letting his barbs and tip stab against her sensitive flesh. "Choke for me, babe." He gripped her neck and shoved in as she angled herself for him, letting him uncomfortably set off her gag reflex, choking and twitching and pulling fruitlessly at her bonds for the sake of his pleasure, and he panted his thanks, painting her burning throat with his seed while compulsive tears streamed from her eyes, the masochist in her reveling in it and helping her reach another climax of her own. Then he pulled out and let himself mark her neck and chest while she sputtered pathetically below his balls.

He pushed them all together, watching their bound forms wriggle and struggle as they moaned dumbly, swallowing down his cum and trying to blow wads of his seed from their noses. He pressed their hips together and started to thrust between them, his flare and the rest of him brushing over their cunts and clits at a slow, indulgent pace. The sight of them all naked, bound, and laid over each other bid him to release one last time, and he spread them onto their backs before he started to spurt more white, warm cum from his tip, strutting sideways around them as he came, marking their bodies with his essence. "There." He said, sighing from magical and sexual exhaustion. "Now I'm finished… for tonight." He maintained focus long enough to unbind them, and then he fell across their welcoming laps, smelling their scents mixing with his own with every breath.

"By the Gods." Cynder muttered, shaking. Elora just groaned in response.

"Just gonna pass out now..." Ember managed to say past the cum drying on her lips before the lot of them drifted into sleep where they lay, thoroughly spent. The tub of water and flowering vines growing from the ceiling were a strong reminder of exactly what Spyro was capable of, and the girls he loved slept peacefully knowing he was near.


	10. Competence

Competence

 _While dragons can bring their might to bear directly and often do, their ability to indirectly achieve their goals is not to be underestimated. One of the ways they manage this is with enchantments, which can be used to protect treasures, set traps for enemies, or empower lesser creatures. A long-lasting example of this is Sparx, the dragonfly, as he has been permanently empowered by dragon magic since the day he was born alongside Spyro's hatching. The most powerful and practiced enchanters can even enhance the magical abilities of those who were already exceptionally powerful, as fairies will when it strikes their fancy. Even compared to dragons, fae magic is exceptional, and they surpass all others in the field of enchantments. When a dragon needs a powerful enchantment that will last for centuries, that dragon will pay for the services of fairies._

\- Excerpt from _"A Study of Dragons"_ written by _"The Professor"_ , published 2222 A.E.

The unique magical signature of Sparx the dragonfly would allow him to pass through the defenses of Spyro's castle unmolested, his security clearance as high as that of Spyro himself. He preferred to perch in Spyro's bedroom to sleep, and was eager to be in the dragon's presence again after their week apart, so he flew straight in through the bedroom window the night he returned from his trip to Dragonfly Falls. To his shock, Spyro wasn't alone in his bed, but was in fact sprawled out over the legs of three girls Sparx recognized. The room smelled of sex and Spyro's lovers were covered in his dried cum, cuddling together in their sleep. Sparx hadn't expected his goading to lead to such spectacular results, but that just left him all the more smug as he drifted to sleep on the window sill.

* * *

When Cynder had been teaching Spyro how to keep the gangs on his good side and work the streets, Sparx had been there. When Spyro was helping Elora save Avalar from Ripto's rage, Sparx had been there. When Ember had retreated from her parents and her troubles to be with Spyro instead, Sparx had been there, though he had begun to disappear for a week at a time on occasion by then. They were as happy to see him as Spyro himself that morning. They couldn't fully understand everything that Sparx was buzzing about, but Spyro assured them that his brother was capable of forming full sentences. There was a psychic effect involved, and already Hunter could understand the dragonfly. Spyro assured them that the more time they spent close to Sparx, the better they would understand him.

Their morning was happy and slow, their bodies sore from the love they'd shared the previous night, and they eventually made their way down to the den, at peace with what the future would bring. "I never thought you'd be able to get all the girls you were lusting after at once," Sparx buzzed in a tone the girls hadn't much heard from him, the lot of them trying to riddle out what the mildly mocking noises meant.

Spyro just rolled his eyes and huffed. "Lust is often felt alongside love, yes. I'm trying to be happy to see you, so don't blow it." Sparx flittered a little higher and then back down in his approximation of a shrug, hovering happily over the couch as the others took seats there, lounging lazily, with the exception of Ember. The pink dragoness had been behind the others, insisting she needed something from the closet, and they finally noticed what she meant when she sauntered past them to the kitchen. A black skirt with white frilling hugged her hips, being far too short to cover anything up and only serving to draw eyes to her rounded rump and swaying tail, but the white apron tied at her neck and waist, while also frilled and quite pretty, seemed like it might actually serve its traditional purpose. Spyro stared as she went in mild shock. He'd known that she wanted to cook for him, but seeing it happen made it all the more real, and he wasn't sure how to react.

"What should I make us for breakfast, Spyro?" He felt warmth flood his body as she said that, looking back at him with affection and a desire to please.

Spyro smiled at her as he leaned back into the couch, Cynder watching him with interest. "Whatever you want, babe. Feel free to be a showoff."

"Well, you've certainly shown me how to manage that." She winked at him before carrying on, swaying her hips as she passed the threshold to the kitchen, humming to herself as she got to work, reveling in the massive kitchen and all the things she'd bought for it the previous day.

"She'll need an assistant who knows what she's doing," Elora said, "but I guess she'll have to settle for me instead." Resolved to help Ember, Elora stood and straightened her newest leaf dress. Spyro's latest version had patterns of flowers forming draconic symbols of power on the skirt, which was a few inches shorter than she was used to, and the chest-covering was just high enough to cover her nipples, a vine supporting the weight of her breasts and lifting her cleavage into permanent display. "I'll definitely draw a few more stares walking around in this thing." Elora had been too tired to fully appreciate the new dress before, but as she twirled around in it she felt her heart flutter in her chest. Not only was it gorgeous in its own right, but it also made her look all the prettier, and that was the mark of a fantastic dress. She could hardly believe Spyro managed to craft it so shortly after they'd woken up. She leaned down and gave Spyro a long, passionate kiss in thanks before trotting into the kitchen to help Ember.

"Well now that I'm awake enough to see it," Cynder began, tilting her head. "I've been left out of the skirt-wearing fun. I'm sure Ember picked something out for me that's just as skimpy so I think I'll find it right now."

Spyro kissed her cheek, stroking the joint of her wing. "Don't take too long. I could use some company soon."

"As I've said, you're insatiable."

"You got that right." They kissed deeply, their tongues playing together for a few solid minutes, and then Cynder breathlessly pulled back, sighing with pleasure. "Now get on and get back, missy." Cynder rolled her eyes as she started to leave, but compulsively moaned as Spyro gave her ass a firm slap. She turned back with false indignation, but Spyro saw right through her facade and just winked, Cynder speeding up so she could get back as quickly as possible.

"She's a feisty one, Sparx." Spyro relaxed all the more, pulling his phone from its pocket dimension and placing it on the coffee table. Dragons didn't like wearing clothing everywhere, but mobile phones were becoming exceedingly important to everyday life, so carrying unflattering bags or cases had become common practice. The Professor had given Spyro his prototype pocket dimension phone, and Spyro was sure that it would be a huge commercial success. It would just be more riches for the both of them thanks to Spyro's funding and The Professor's brilliance. Still, it wasn't enough to distract him from his concerns, and he put voice to them now that he could speak to his brother again. "I am worried about her interest in a spellbook of dark magic, but I just can't trust it out in the broader world. High-Five was distraught when I spoke to him about it. He said it could influence people directly, as if it's alive in a way." Sparx gave a confused buzz, and Spyro chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, pal. I guess there's a lot I need to catch you up on."

While Sparx was contemplating this, Spyro's phone began to ring, and he answered the moment he saw who it was. "Gnorman! My main money gnorc! How's the park doing?" Gnorman was the treasurer for the Dragon Shores park, and he called to give Spyro a financial report once a month, as his public function as salaried mascot wasn't all that Spyro did for the park. He could be counted on to provide loans with downright friendly interest rates when Gnorman knew the savings weren't enough for a particular expansion. For the next several minutes the dragon would be talking business with his gnorc friend, so Sparx decided to fly over into the kitchen to watch Ember work. As a predatory insect he didn't have any interest in the sorts of prepared meals that most other sapient creatures enjoyed, but he could tell by Ember's demeanor and how cheerfully she greeted him that she was confident in what she was making, Elora clearly impressed with the smells in the room.

Having a moment to himself while speaking with Gnorman, Spyro's mind began to wander a bit. He didn't wish to be rude to Gnorman, but couldn't avoid feeling some anxiety about the stunt he was about to pull with three traitorous Mountain Crackers. He was made yet more uneasy by the contemplation of Slither's lack of contact, unsure why she let Cynder step down from the ranks of the Knifetails so easily. His heart told him to ignore all of that, to accept that Slither respected Cynder enough to let her be happy, and that no dragon nor other resident of the realms was stupid enough to cause trouble with the dark tome. Unfortunately, he was never very good at fooling himself, and logic made way for worry.

* * *

Hoss paced in his private cavern, no longer towering over his underlings as he usually did, far too busy considering their odd behavior of late. He was twice as tall as the zeroes he led, already 273 years of age himself, not nearly old enough to be a full adult, but older than most draconic gangsters. Whatever impulse drove aging dragons to take to slower methods of amassing wealth had not hit Hoss, and the Mountain Crackers continued to control the communities of unruly cave-dwelling beings, extorting tithes for protection and concealment. It was lucrative enough to sustain them, but the recovered treasures from ancient dwarfish holds and long-abandoned dragon mines brought in more prestige and fetched fine prices. It seemed the Tome of Valenar would be no exception.

The problem lied with the three young dragons meant to guard that very book. They were up to something, but he wasn't sure what. He couldn't accuse them without evidence, but neither could shake his intuition, warning him that they were plotting something. They were still zeroes, and zeroes were ambitious risk-takers. The only way to keep them in line was to pit them against each other, and if he couldn't be sure what they were planning then doing so was his only option. Trying to split the three up wouldn't work, not while they were so deep in a conspiracy together, but he could use another member of the gang, so long as they didn't see it coming. "That's it." He said to himself, devising a plan of his own.

Rock, High-Five, and Camo seemed far too interested in that tome they'd almost lost to Cynder. It would be a shame if they lost the honor of presenting it themselves when the meeting finally came to pass.

 _A few days later..._

It was nice to get away from the constant bickering of the mountain goats and spend some time out in the open fields, watched over by calm and good-natured dragons. Tomas, a musician, was chatting away at Delbin, a painter, and Tomas, an Elder who was quite adept at magic, particularly teleportation. Artisan Tomas thought it was infinitely amusing that he shared a name with such a powerful Elder, and Elder Tomas did an admirable job pretending that he didn't mind the banter, but Sheila could tell that he did. She spent a lot of her time pretending that Billy, Bobby, and Pete didn't make her want to strangle them with their constant, over-the-top pranks on one another. As such, she decided to hop over to help him out.

"G'day, Tom! Other Tom, Delbin." The blue-scaled Elder stepped back as Sheila hopped forward, inviting her into their informal gathering while she nodded to each of the dragons in turn. "Long time, no see, mates. What's new in these realms?" The Elder quietly sighed in relief at the change in subject, but his expression was still anxious, as if the news was concerning for him.

"Well," Delbin began. "A new expansion for Dragon Shores has just been announced. They're using some new technology from The Professor to build an underwater roller-coaster. Spyro's already filmed an advertisement for it."

"If you ask me," said young Thomas, "it's about time they had a ride themed after The Great Sea Dragon. She's quite an important figure in our history. Over the ages, there have been seventy-six songs entirely dedicated to Her and Her story, and She is mentioned in one way or another in over a thousand songs."

"Oh yeah," Sheila replied, a wide smile on her face. "I've read about her. She died on Dragon Shores, 'ey? Swam all the way there from The Forgotten Realms before any portals could connect the two, saving her young from The Sorceress."

"Aye, that is correct." Though Elder Thomas said it with a tired confidence, as if he'd confirmed it to many tourists before, Sheila had the unshakable impression that he was somehow hiding something. Regardless, he continued to another topic. "It is unfortunate that not all of the recent news we can give you is so positive as the continued success of a popular theme park." The Elder leaned on his staff, craning his neck to bring his face closer to the kangaroo, his expression sad. "I'm afraid that gang activities have been on the rise, and I suspect that Spyro is still involved in spite of my warnings."

"Awe, no, the lad is fine, you old Tom." The musician said with a cheeky smile, Delbin nodding along with him. "The streets are a familiar battlefield for young Spyro, and I'm sure any current opposition pales in comparison to what he's faced in the past."

"Regardless," Elder Thomas said, pressing forward and mildly annoyed. "I believe it is good that you are here, Sheila. Spyro has more connections with races younger than ours than any other dragon his age, and I know he cares for you deeply. Perhaps you could bring my concerns to your shared friends for me? Let the others know that the Elder Council is concerned for Spyro's well-being?"

"No worries, Tom. I'll pass it along to 'em. I'd try an intervention, maybe, but it's no good trying to tell old Spyro what to do. Stubborn as a horny billy-goat, that one." Sheila smiled apologetically, shrugging her shoulders with exasperation.

Thomas nodded thankfully anyway, appreciating that she would make the effort. "That is all I can ask of you. I worry about that boy, you know."

"I, for one," Delbin began, "have faith that Spyro will be safe, especially with his little magical protector following him around everywhere. He is the youngest Master of Dragon-kata in history, afterall." Delbin gestured slightly, with a disarming twinkle in his eyes and a charming smile, clearly speaking with the best of intentions. "As I understand it, the Elder Council was responsible for that training, and trusted him to save the Dragon Realms from the greatest threat we'd yet faced."

"Fine, you have made your point quite clear." Elder Thomas straightened his spine and held his staff forward, giving a small bow of his head in recognition. Sheila was always a little overwhelmed in moments such as this, seeing an ancient and powerful dragon shift from a friendly, grandfatherly figure to a regal beast with great magic and infinite wisdom. Indeed, it seemed those things were only distinct in her own mind, and had she enough wisdom herself she may not ever see only one or the other again. "It is with all of my heart that I hope you are correct, Artisans. As I have a prior engagement with the Magic Crafters, I will leave you and our guest to enjoy today's public event." When the Elder was finished with his farewell, the other dragons bowed back and wished him fair winds.

Sheila watched him take off after a short sprint, flying from the landmass of the Artisan worlds toward the mountains of the Magic Crafters. "He's always fun, innit he?"

"Old Tom might be a worrier, but I was much the same, once upon a time." The younger Thomas mused. "Still a great guy. Lot's of patience, too."

"That public event he mentioned is an art show on the West side of town." Delbin explained, tilting his head in the appropriate direction. "We'd be more than happy to have you along for a few hours, before you go to see your friends."

Sheila straightened her coat and nodded, her bright hair giving an alluring little bounce as she did. "Now that does sound like a fun time; a real banger iffin Tom'll be playin' there, 'ey?"

"I will indeed, my dear." Thomas gave a good-natured wink as they began to walk together, enjoying the fine weather. "We're in no rush, so it will be our pleasure to escort you here on the ground."

"Ah, still afraid of fallin' then, 'ey?" Delbin snorted to suppress a chuckle, but the only sign Thomas gave of his annoyance was a small twitch of his wings.

The Artisan dragons were always friendly to Sheila and other visitors of her size, enjoying the enthusiasm of younger species for art in all its forms. The Artisan Home world was second only to Dragon Shores in visitation, partly because Spyro and Sparx had hatched in an Artisan territory, and largely because every visitor spread the word of the stunning art the dragons were capable of, as well as telling of the beautiful, untarnished nature that inspired it.

As such, it was no surprise that the art show was an impressive display, with tourists spending all manner of exotic currency to take home pieces of art. There were paintings, sculptures, and even short stories penned onto parchment the old-fashioned way, all of it being traded while musicians took turns playing for tips, announcing the next dragon in the line-up when their own sets were complete. There was even a small band of much younger dragons showing off digital art in their own little area, some familiar faces facilitating the creativity of the others with an impressive array of screens and speakers. After tossing some silver coins into Thomas' lute case, Sheila headed in that direction, eager to catch up on lost time.

"Hey there, Professor! Seems you're all settled in and comfy here in the Dragon Realms. Even have your own space in the art show." A little to the mole's left, Drobot and Drobit were arguing over some statistics pertaining to some form of software, perhaps a game, though Sheila wasn't sure. Drobot seemed to care a lot less about it than his little brother, but the arguing went on regardless. On The Professor's other side was Flame, his hot-red scales shining brilliantly in the sunlight as he practically skipped in place, a menu for a pixelated game on a screen behind him. He must have cleaned himself thoroughly for this presentation, even buffing his scales and scutes by the look of them.

"Oh no," The Professor answered. "It's not my space. Drobot and I are simply here to allow others to express their art. This space is for the young dragons here."

"Sheila!" The kangaroo started at Flame's sudden call, only having met the young fire dragon a few times when visiting Spyro. She had a distant friendship with him, much like her relationships with the older Artisans, but he seemed much more excited to see her than she'd expected. "Bianca was holding out on me all these years, you know." Sheila blinked in confusion as she turned to face him fully, not sure how to respond to that. "She's been a fantastically skilled gamer this whole time, and only just let her skills be known a few days ago. How crazy is that?"

"Absolutely lunar," Sheila said, pretending she knew what he was talking about.

"Uh, yeah." Sheila noticed he seemed distracted by something for a moment, but he was still looking right at her. She tilted her head at him, his eyes following the sway of her fiery red hair, but he managed to pull his thoughts back together after that. "Anyway, my point. I wonder, are you hiding any secret gaming talent as well? You two are pretty close, right?"

"We were, before she moved out here with Hunter."

"Oh..." Flame whispered, fidgeting his claws awkwardly. "Sorry for bringing it up then."

"S'alright, blokey. Bentley and Sergeant Byrd have moved out this ways too. Ah know Agent Nine 'ill be lurkin' roundabouts The Professor's labs, and they're all here now. Been thinking about moving out here myself too. Lemme tell ya, this roo needs a boomer by now, but none of the bucks in the Forgotten Realms quite measure up." It was Flame's turn to blink in confusion, not sure what she'd just said exactly, but whatever it meant had The Professor blushing for some reason. "So what's your treat for the people today, Flamer?"

Flame perked up at that question, gesturing behind himself with flair. "This is a video game I've been developing independently, with Drobit's help, of course. We're showing off a demo level today. Want to have a go at it?"

"Heck yeah! Just show me how to get started. Ain't played many of these things before, ya know." Flame grinned and fanned out his wings excitedly, sliding over to Sheila's side and directing her by gesturing at her controller. He soon realized she wasn't kidding when she said she didn't play many video games, but he patiently provided pointers and helped her to avoid the glitches he hadn't worked out yet. She listened closely to everything he told her, but she was admittedly a little distracted by his physical closeness. While he was standing upright as he was, he was almost a head taller than her, not counting the horns, and she was a bit hunched over to study the controller and screen already.

Sheila finally saw the signs of what The Professor had been talking about, that young dragons matured quickly, and often _experimented_ with the shorter-lived species in their youth. She wasn't stupid, and she'd picked up on how Flame had studied her hair and face earlier. It was clear that he found her attractive, but she wondered how far that could take them before he lost his nerve. "Oh bull dust!" Sheila missed a jump by a few pixels, intentionally, her tail _thwapping_ Flame's hip as she flicked it in faux frustration. "I think we'll be here all day if you don't give me some hands-on help with this one." Before he could reach for the controller she shifted her position, so that he'd either have to move over to her other side, or just reach over her shoulders for it.

Flame tensed up as he realized what she was doing, glancing at the others to see if they would notice. To his relief, The Professor had been dragged into the heated debate that Drobit and Drobot were having, so he turned back to Sheila, observing her figure from behind. By the time his gaze traveled back to her hair, she was looking back at him with a small smile, her emerald eye shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Only a fool would pass up what she was offering, or so Flame thought, so he stepped forward and leaned his broad chest into her back, his claws gliding through the fur on her arms until he was loosely gripping her hands, his thumbs gently prodding hers in the right direction as she tried the jump again. He felt her tail hike up his own, his hips straddling her rear as they settled into a position that was anything but innocent, even as they both pretended it was.

Sheila felt warmth flooding her body from the contact, the smoky scent of the fire dragon distracting her so much that she really did need his input to make her way through the demo level. The feeling of his firm belly-scutes digging into her jacket and fur, of his scaled arms against hers, and his strong hands gripping hers left her in a state of euphoric sensory overload, the need she'd tried to manage with males in the Forgotten Realms burning in her core all the hotter.

Flame pressed his snout into her neck, taking a deep breath of the perfume in her hair, a healthy serving of her natural scent mixing in as he did. She felt so soft beneath him, stirring something within him, something he'd felt to a lesser extent just talking with Bianca. He stroked the soft skin of her hands, completely ignoring the demo he'd worked so hard to put together, focused entirely on the kangaroo, closing his weight in around her. He felt his firm muscles pushing against hers, her strong thighs especially enticing him, and she moaned quietly. She'd managed to muffle the sound, but they were so close that Flame could still hear it easily, responding by giving her cheek a light kiss. "Fuck me," she muttered breathlessly.

"Sure thing." His smooth reply to her impulsive exclamation left her blushing, but his own words surprised him too, and they stared into each other's eyes for a good few minutes. The conversation of the others had gone strangely quiet.

Then, Sheila smiled. "Ace, mate. Later, though. Let me settle in first, yeah?" Flame couldn't hide his excitement as he nodded, lifting his arms and stepping back so she could step away from the console, facing him directly. "Don't think we've ever exchanged numbers, Flamer. Get your phone out and put mine down, so ya can call me sometime." Flame did, looking to be in a bit of a daze, and afterward Sheila hopped off, waving cheerily back at him.

Flame looked back to see that The Professor, Drobot, and Drobit had all been watching him for the past few minutes, and he chuckled nervously. "Did I just secure a booty-call?"

"More than one, I'd say." Drobot replied nonchalantly, turning back to the station to study one of the cable locks. "Depending on how well you perform the first time, that is."

"Ah, fuck. That's a good point." Flame turned contemplative, watching the majority of the dragons and tourists ignoring the little tech station in favor of the more classical pieces. Most people went to the Artisan Worlds to experience the work of old dragons, to see art forms that had died out in their own societies, but that was alright. Surely, they'd be busier when more zeros left their day-jobs, and it just gave him time to think on his situation. Slowly, Flame's face lit up with satisfaction, and he nodded to himself. "Spyro seems to have become an expert at this stuff in only a few days, if his Realmbridge posts are anything to go by. I'll just ask him for some pointers tomorrow."

"Fascinating." The Professor exclaimed quietly, taking down notes as he listened in. The three dragons around him all turned in his direction at once, and the mole shrunk down into his lab coat. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Don't worry yourself over it, Professor." Drobot said, gazing down at the scientist through the optics that had replaced his lost eyes. "I find those little outbursts to be… endearing." Flame smirked, he and Drobit wisely turning their attention elsewhere.

The mole fidgeted with his pencil and clipboard, his eyes rapidly scanning all the areas where Drobot's scales met his cybernetic parts. "Are all of your systems still running smoothly?"

"I've had a few glitches with the right optic after a tussle with a Lightbringer this morning."

"Spotlight again?" Drobot nodded as the pair of them moved over to a workbench, The Professor digging some tools out of a wheeled tool-cabinet. "Why can't she just leave us to do our work in peace? Haven't we proven we aren't a threat by now?"

Drobot shook his head, before stilling so The Professor could start his checkup. "Her suspicion is admirable, if misplaced. I'm glad that she keeps the Knifetails in check."

"And I'll be glad when she stops ambushing you without cause. Anyway, hold perfectly still: I'm about to check the circuits."

* * *

 _The next day…_

"You weren't kidding about these souffles." The sound of slapping hips echoed in Spyro's kitchen, the skilled cook amongst his mates bent over the counter and drooling over the desserts she'd just made, her little apron and necklace swaying with Spyro's every hump. He'd mounted her several minutes ago, when Ember had offered to have him judge the dessert she'd bragged about a few days ago. Now he'd finished the souffle, but he wasn't done with his real treat, his massive cock slamming deep into her pussy at a relaxed pace, flooding her body with warmth and pleasure. He then leaned down over her back more closely, lifting his hand in front of her face, and she mindlessly started licking the crumbs from the souffle off his fingers. Her moans were soon muffled as she started to suckle, and Spyro chuckled at her, feeding her a bit of magical water from his claws, a trick he made frequent use of.

"That's my good girl." Spyro praised her, slapping Ember's shapely ass with his free hand while he picked up the pace, slamming her knees into the cabinet doors below with his powerful thrusts. All of his girls liked it rough, and he took full advantage of that, releasing a bestial growl while Ember's eager cunny gripped him even tighter with his increased force. Ember was taking yet another rough pounding from her hero, and it sent her mind reeling, her eyes rolling back as he savagely fucked her. She didn't have the space to move or the speed to keep up with him, but she made up for it by focusing on the grip of her love tunnel, squeezing around his throbbing cock each time his tip hit her cervix, her soft inner flesh embracing him snugly before he pulled back to slam in again, his smooth barbs digging into her whenever he reared back for the next thrust.

"Wreck me, Spyro," Ember mumbled around her mouthful of his fingers, and he purred deep in his chest when he heard those words, pulling his fingers from her soft lips and gripping the back of her head with that hand. Ember deftly slid the tray of souffles to the side and the moment they were out of the way she felt Spyro shove her face down onto the counter, his other hand gripping one of her wing joints firmly as he paused in his thrusting to shift his legs against hers. "Ooo~" She cooed happily, gyrating herself over him needily until he was ready to shove into her again, slamming deep and at the perfect angle to stimulate all of her most sensitive spots. He'd gotten quite familiar with her body in the past week. "Nnngh… Yes, right there."

A short distance to their left on the counter, Spyro's phone began to ring, and Spyro purred playfully as he nuzzled the back of Ember's neck, letting his grip on her head loosen a little. "Why don't you answer that for me, sweetheart?" Spyro felt her tremble beneath him at the mere thought, unable to contain the surge of exhibitionist excitement as she desperately clawed for the phone, barely glancing at the caller ID before answering.

"Hello, this is Spyro's phone, mmmm… f-fu.. Ember speaking. -AAAAH! Oooo..."

Flame responded with clear nervousness and arousal, sure that it would be polite to merely call back later, but too enthralled by what he was hearing to do so right away. _"Uh… Is Spyro there?"_ Flame already knew that he was, but felt the need to ask anyway. _"I need to ask him if I can swing by today."_

"One- Haa! S-second." Ember dropped the phone, her hips quaking as her body was nearing its peak, and she turned her head back to look at Spyro with half-lidded eyes and a strand of drool falling from her lip. "Fl-Flame wants to.. talk to- Mmmph!" Spyro surprised her with a deep, passionate kiss, the hand holding her head switching to gently caressing her crest, while his other hand lovingly stroked her wing joints and spine, the sudden shift soothing her sore body. He humped into her hard and slow, hitting all of the right spots and finally hilting in her when she couldn't take any more. Ember groaned girlishly into the kiss, her peaking pussy milking cutely at his firm cock, pulling him over the edge. With Sparx still hovering above them like a silent sentinel, Spyro filled Ember's insides with his warm seed, slowly pulling back to coat as much of her needy pussy in his cum as possible. Finally, while he was letting the last of his release land on Ember's backside, he set his phone to speaker mode, grinning to himself when he saw that Flame had stayed on the line.

"You enjoying yourself over there, buddy?" There were a number shuffling sounds from the phone as Flame rapidly changed position on the other end, trying and failing to cover it up by clearing his throat. Meanwhile, Spyro pulled Ember back by one of her horns, shoving her down below the counter and slapping her face with his cock, their combined sex fluids staining her lashes. "Clean me up now, sweetie." She giggled quietly while she nuzzled his crotch, stroking his thighs as she started on her task, licking up and down the length of his cock, her attention preventing it from softening much.

" _I could call back at a better time if-"_

"Too late for that, buddy. What's important enough for you to become a voyeur?" Spyro grunted when Ember suddenly slipped him into her mouth, her soft lips tight around him and her tongue swirling against his tip. He was only paying slight attention to his conversation, letting Ember distract him from the stress of what they'd be doing later that day. "Mmmm… Good girl, Ember." She hummed happily around him from the praise, taking his dick deeper as he started to pet her head, letting him glide into her throat.

" _What you're doing right now is why I'm calling."_ That caught the attention of both dragons on the other end of the line, but, after a few seconds of contemplation, Spyro pulled Ember's head closer to him and she took the hint, starting to bob her face into his groin. She didn't need to worry about the conversation happening above, not when she had something far more important to take up her attention. _"I need your help, dude. Sheila came on to me yesterday, and I'm completely new at this stuff. I don't want to mess up the first time, because I want there to be a second time. Could you give me some pointers if I come over?"_

While Flame was talking, Spyro started to hump into Ember's face, her body trapped against the cabinets as he plowed into her throat, his girth making her gag and drool. He was free to use her as roughly as he wanted, since they kept their nonverbal signal for when someone might need a break, and Ember obviously didn't want him to stop if she wasn't using that signal. "We're gonna be really busy today, so let me tell you how this works right now instead. Take notes." There were more shuffling noises and Spyro chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He felt Ember squeeze his right thigh and tap his left twice, _slow down and back up_ , is what that signal meant. He shuffled back and splayed his hands against the edge of the counter, gazing down at her with inquisitive eyes. She just winked thankfully at him and used the extra space to position her throat at a better angle from his crotch, so his cock could glide deeper more easily.

Ember shoved her face forward again, managing to take him to the base that time, her hands pulling at his hips to give him the signal to speed back up. _"Alright, I'm ready. What do I need to do?"_ Spyro hummed in approval, slapping his balls into Ember's chin as he started to fuck her face in earnest, unable to keep the possessive grin off his face, nor out of his voice as he spoke back to the phone.

"There are two things all girls want from a roll in the nest. They want to feel taken care of, and they want to take care of you. There's a lot of different emotions, wants, and needs that we could get into, but they all trace back to one of those two things, so figuring out which of the two your girl leans into will let you play her like a pan flute." Ember's laugh at that little joke was muffled by his cock, and the well-practiced dragoness started twisting her neck one way or the other when he hilted, massaging his shaft with her wet throat. "Nnnff… Oh that's good. There's also nuances to the reasons why they want certain things, and it'll change with their moods because of course, that just makes sense. Don't do anything too kinky without establishing safe words, but remember to test the waters without starting with the safe words occasionally or it won't feel spontaneous enough and she'll get bored."

" _Wait, how will I know if I need to be spontaneous or play it safe?"_

Spyro looked down at Ember's gorgeous face, her scales shining brilliantly and her wings gleaming from her rigorous hygiene routine. The sight of her was breathtaking as he railed his cock into her face, her eyes glancing up at him with clear devotion in their depths. He could smell her pleasure rising as she delicately dug her fingers into her slit, her pleasure and his seed leaking from her to pool on the floor. "Look at her, Flame. Give her the respect she deserves and look her right in the eyes. Then, you'll know what to do." Spyro lowered his face past the counter, leaving the phone behind for a moment, giving Ember his full attention. "Cum for me, baby." She moaned over him, digging her claws into herself faster and rougher, mashing her thumb into her clit, forcing her body into the state he wanted her to reach, and then she did what he wanted, squirting their mixed juices into her hand.

"Mmmff!" Spyro gripped Ember's skull and savagely fucked her throat at a rapid pace, slamming deep and holding himself there before she was finished, feeling her gulping weakly around his throbbing cock while he sprayed his load into her throat. He blew fire into the air from his nose, growling while he finished in her yet again, his wings twitching with fulfillment. He gave her more than she could keep up with, his virility coating her lips and dribbling out of her nostrils as she gagged, still playing with her trembling pussy. She let his dick rest in her while he caught his breath, closing her tearing eyes and focusing on the full sensation, his musk and presence overwhelming her senses.

"Still there?" Spyro asked between panted breaths.

" _Y-yeah."_

"Good. I wanted to say one last thing. Don't fuck up my friend's first time with a dragon. Oh! And try not to spit fire on her, too." With that, Spyro ended the call, stepping back to let Ember up. She followed him with her face, however, suckling lewdly at his dick as it gradually slipped free until it was mostly clean, taking all of his seed into herself and leaving him with the ghost of the sweet embrace of her body.

"There," she panted, "all clean." Spyro dropped down in front of her, smiling mischievously.

"Not yet. There's still some on you." He playfully licked at her snout and lips, collecting his cum on his tongue before kissing her, letting her lick it from his tongue with her own.

He broke the kiss to finish the job, but she put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Don't clean all of it. I love being marked by you in the morning. I'll just wash up before we leave."

Spyro chuckled, pulling the tray of souffles off the counter. This put his firm rump into prime snuggling range, and Ember took full advantage, nuzzling her wet snout against the base of his tail. "Since you won't let me finish cleaning your face, _you_ will just have to clean every spot that you nuzzle." She giggled apologetically in response, gently licking his backside until he was far enough away for her to start following him out. "Considering what Cynder and Elora have been up to all morning, I think they'll need a few of these."

 _A few moments earlier…_

An otherwise nude faun was restrained by leather and metal connectors on Spyro's bed, her wrists trapped under her back and a spreader bar keeping her ankles apart. A dragoness took great pleasure in taking advantage of the faun's state of bondage, again and again. Their bodies glistened with sweat, staining the sheets along with their arousal. They had needed to wash the sheets daily for the past few days, driven by lust and the thrill of discovery, as well as the desire for plenty of distractions.

Cynder worked her hips down over Elora's face, gyrating her hips while Elora obediently licked and suckled. Cynder's tail was wrapped around the faun's breasts, her clawed hands kneading the soft flesh and pinching delicately at the nipples. "Such a good little goat." Cynder praised, humping down roughly to force Elora's snout deeper, her clit mashed into the short fur of the faun's chin. "Ready to bleat for me again?" Elora whimpered into Cynder's pussy, but her own winked with anticipation, giving away how much she enjoyed the treatment she was receiving that morning.

Cynder growled over the ravaged body of her lover, small red marks visible past the fur in a few places from the last time they'd done this. Then, she started to nip, closing her sharp teeth over Elora's boobs, torso, and thighs. She didn't bite hard enough to draw blood, nor even to hurt much, but the slightest hint of those teeth closing over her body sent shivers up Elora's spine, her limbs straining against her bonds as she squirmed excitedly. "Mmmff..." The fact that her sight was obscured entirely by Cynder's tight vent, the base of her tail, her shapely butt, and the bit of her wet slit that encompassed her snout meant that she couldn't be sure where Cynder would bite next, and that made it so much more titillating than it already would have been.

"Oh yes, you know how much I like lavender, don't you? Flavored these legs for me with your last shower, huh?" Cynder felt Elora work her tongue more frantically into the dragoness' slit, as she always did when the nibbling started to really work her up. Cynder drove her hips down again, using Elora's face like a sex-toy and viciously play-biting her thighs, drooling into the already sweat-stained fur. The bitter taste of sweat mingled with the traces of lavender soap, Cynder purring around her snack. She bit down harder, hearing the sweet, muffled sound of the faun bleating into her pussy, and that was all the prompting Cynder needed to get even rougher with her hips. The constant slamming made Elora's snout sore, Cynder's tail swaying above, and her own snout hovering over Elora's cunt. She finished again, growling over her bound partner, forcing Elora to drink down another load of feminine juices and staining her facial fur with more of her own scent. "That's a good bottom bitch." After her quiet muttering, Cynder licked her lips, then giggled to herself, before finally giving Elora's clit a gentle nibble with her sharp teeth.

Elora was bucking up at the air in the next second, moaning in ecstasy and adding more fluids to the stain that had been growing between her thighs and under her large rump. Cynder just kept giggling, still sitting comfortably on Elora's face, leaning back against the head-board of the bed. "Wow. I don't know why you were a politician for so long. Being a seat for dragons is clearly your true calling." Elora tried to mumble something back, but Cynder just wiggled her ass over her, preventing her from getting a word in. "Sorry, I'm not quite satisfied yet. Why don't you keep working while I relax for awhile?" Cynder lifted herself long enough for Elora to take a full breath, though the air was filled with Cynder's smell. When Cynder settled back down she had her vent over Elora's lips and wiggled her ass down again. "Just eat my ass out for me and I'll consider letting you up." Elora shuddered with arousal, her ankles kicking and straining against the bar between them, and she didn't muster any protests while she got to work on her latest task.

"Nnnn..." Cynder stretched her limbs out and screwed her eyes shut, her body tingling with compounding afterglows and the pleasant sensation of having her vent licked clean. Elora's tongue spread the tight, draconic sphincter just past the lips of the vent, and she wormed her way as deeply into Cynder's bowls as she could manage with her wide, mammalian tongue. All Cynder had to do was relax and sink down, letting her weight give Elora the smothering she craved. They had all done so much experimenting in the last few days, learning about each other, discovering their shared fetishes, and Elora loved being bound and helpless. She especially enjoyed the warmth of a dragon's insides, particularly when it was trapped against her face by a shapely ass and tail until it went from warm to hot, and Cynder very much enjoyed being eaten out. This was perhaps Cynder's favorite part, basking in the bliss of several orgasms while her worn-out faun eagerly slurped at her asshole. Elora knew to just stop and whine if she needed a breather, so Cynder just crossed her legs and propped her feet on Elora's belly, slapping Elora's boobs with her tail.

The longer they kept at it, the more Cynder moaned in quiet approval, her eyes half-lidded and her body at peak relaxation. She uncrossed her legs and straightened her knees, letting her feet slide closer to Elora's groin, her ass sinking a little further over Elora's face. She felt her stomach rumble hungrily and started to stroke her belly-plates, feeling something stirring she might have been embarrassed about with anyone else. In this case, she knew the faun loved what was coming her way. "Have some air down there, goat." Cynder let a fart out over Elora's tongue and directly into her mouth, the furry muzzle muffling the noise completely. Elora's eyes rolled up as she breathed it in and kept licking at an indulgently slow pace, her body shivering from the sensation. Her dragons really did spoil her, fulfilling her wildest fantasies again and again. "There's more where that came from. Ember and Spyro are taking their time getting back up here, and I'm pretty hungry."

Cynder lost track of time as she waited patiently, and Elora certainly wasn't paying any mind to anything other than Cynder's wonderful rear end. The dragoness let out a few short burps every few minutes, but occasionally her tummy released the hot air in Elora's maw instead, making the faun moan and shudder every time. When Spyro finally came back into the bedroom he was carrying the souffles, and Ember was still licking his butt as she followed after him, his cum still staining her face. Cynder giggled at them, fluttering her wings in anticipation. "So glad you're both back. Help me finish off the main course before we try Ember's dessert."

Elora's ears flicked up when the meaning of Cynder's words finally registered, the serpentine dragoness lifting her rump and bending forward, sliding her claws along Elora's back. Finally her mouth was free, and soon Cynder had unbound her wrists as well, kneading them as she pulled Elora's arms out from under her. Spyro and Ember crawled onto the bed with predatory motions, making their way to Elora's ankles and freeing them of the bar, pushing the piece of metal off the bed. There was a clang as it clattered down, the sensation of mild electric shocks from Spyro's fingers, and then they all lightly bit her limbs simultaneously. The playful nips were just as harmless as the ones Cynder gave her earlier, but they were all the more relentless, and from three dragons at once.

Elora didn't fight, closing her eyes as she was fondled, nibbled, licked, and caressed. They stalked around her as they went, teasing every inch of her body. Eventually Ember made her way to Elora's face and drew her into a deep kiss. Elora could smell Spyro's seed on Ember's scales. On and on it went, the dragons changing positions and passing Elora's arms and legs around, teeth brushing over her skin and tongues cleaning off her sweat, until her form was shaking with need. She felt one maw move away, opening her eyes to see Cynder suckling one of her own fingers, lubing it up, and then she slid it into Elora's ass, Spyro and Ember each forcing a finger into her pussy at the same time. Cynder was stroking Elora's side with her other hand, Ember had a handful of faun boob, Spyro sat on one of her thighs, and a bit of extra heat inside her from his magic as all their fingers curled in a different direction was enough to bring Elora to yet another climax. She grabbed Ember and Cynder at the shoulders, riding out her orgasm while the dragons made adoring little purrs for her, the mammal gasping for breath when it was over.

They helped Elora sit up and Ember scooped the tray of souffles from the floor, the girls digging in to the sweets. Ember was again showered with praise for her cooking skills, but Spyro seemed quite distracted by his phone. He sighed and stowed it in its pocket dimension, waiting for his girls to finish their late breakfast. When their conversation died down and they turned toward him, he spoke. "It's almost time. We should make ourselves presentable. Remember, if Hoss gets hostile, let me handle him and protect Elora. She won't survive a direct hit from him." Hoss had risen to power when he was still a zero, and had held his position since then, growing stronger as the years passed. Since the meeting was meant to be peaceful, the heads of either side were honor-bound to bring their mates along, but Hoss had none. Any number of other representatives from the Mountain Crackers could accompany their leader without consequence, and if Spyro informed any of his older allies outside of the gangs it would only damage his reputation with the gangs and scare the Mountain Crackers out of doing any business with Spyro at all.

For these reasons, Spyro dearly hoped there wouldn't be a fight, but if there was, he would be ready.

* * *

The Night Lotus Skatepark was owned and operated by dragons who took an agreed amount of money from each major gang on their list every month, not accepting any more to maintain their impartial position. It let the space function as a neutral meeting place and kept the steady income flowing from gangster patrons and their leaders, as the lack of favoritism prevented any from being chased off. The world that held the skatepark was quite cold, as it was night there more often than day. While it was midday in the primary Dream Weaver world, which this frigid world was connected to, the sun was already setting at the place of the meeting, somewhere deeper in the dark world than the Dark Passage itself.

Spyro noticed that something was wrong right away, seeing the trio of his conspirators somewhere off to Hoss' left, while a strong, brown male was directly to his right, carrying the bag Cynder had tried to steal the book with. All Hoss had to do to ruin Spyro's simple plan was have a different dragon hold the item to be bartered, and he'd arrived in full force, several dozen young dragons with earthy tones to their scales standing behind Hoss. The brown male was beefy and tall for his age, but Hoss still towered over him, shifting to a bipedal stance as he approached. His smug smile spoke volumes, but he was met with Spyro's determined glare, deep purple eyes locking with freckled brown.

Hoss spread his sand-tan wings and green arms, palms out, bringing his procession to a halt whilst Spyro rose to meet him. It was strangely infuriating for Spyro to see him looking down at him so confidently, in a disturbing parody of how his enemy-turned-friend had done the same when they'd first met. Red was a much worthier opponent, Hoss seeming so much pettier by comparison. Spyro's disgust and disdain must have shown on his face, because Hoss almost let his grin fall into a frown, but whatever they could see in the expression of the other wasn't obvious to any onlookers, both of them successfully putting up a jovial front. "Greetings from the Mountain Crackers to the Great Mediator, Spyro, and his mates."

"Boss Hoss, Master of the Caverns. I'm glad you agreed to meet me here. The Tome of Valenar is dangerous, and I need it to be lost once again." Hoss took the hint, gesturing toward his aid, who took to a bipedal posture as well at the signal, pulling the tome from the bag and presenting it. He was standing behind Hoss still, such that Spyro wouldn't be able to snatch it up, not that he would be foolish enough to employ such a childish strategy. "Very good. Please, state your price."

"One million gold pieces worth of gemstones." Such a price would be taxing even for Spyro's resources. Spyro merely narrowed his eyes, but Cynder had lowered herself as if ready to pounce, hissing angrily. Elora was shocked, several of the Mountain Crackers looking mildly uncomfortable when the offer was made, but still more were fighting to suppress laughter.

Spyro took a step back, allowing a sneer to clearly show on his face. He motioned a wing back to Cynder, showing his willingness to let her speak, and when she did her voice dripped with venom. "Is that ludicrous price the toll you expect your protector to pay you for the honor of saving your scales yet again?"

"You are a treacherous snake, Cynder." The dragoness bristled with anger, Ember laying a hand on her shoulder to remind her to stay calm. "I put no stock in your words, especially not after your attempt to steal this book from us. If a former Knifetail is to have access to this dark magic, I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to sell it at all."

Spyro internally cursed himself for letting Cynder speak. He knew she was seething with rage, and in his own ire he had wanted to let her rage loose, if only for a moment. It had cost him quite a bit of ground. "She successfully stole your book, and then gave it back, because she was proving a point for me. You don't have the means to protect it from those who understand dark magic, but I do."

"Of course you do, but this tome belongs to us." Hoss indicated the assembled earth and life dragons behind him with his wings, grinning more widely. "One young dragon has had immense luck in battling dark sorcerers, yes, but he would be brought low by one pretty spy. As much as you wish to believe that Cynder has cut her ties with her former gang, I lack that level of foolishness." Spyro felt the sudden urge to rip Hoss to pieces, but he somehow managed to restrain himself, merely clenching his fists. "If you possess the technology to keep the tome safe then simply provide it to us. No dragon of life would dare tamper with such dark magics. As you've alluded to, Cynder has quite the talent for it. It would corrupt her, and destroy you."

"You demand now that I freely gift you with experimental, potentially dangerous technology that your rivals can't yet buy, all the while gaining nothing for myself. I would not even have the security of knowing that the tome goes unread." Spyro shook his head, squaring his shoulders. "That is unacceptable, as is your initial price, but I will grant you the chance to claim the latter, if you are brave enough to face me in single combat." Hoss huffed, trying to hide his obvious trepidation. Spyro gestured to the dragons around him, speaking to the crowd. "I put my trust in the trustworthy and the bold, and do not damn by association. No matter how greatly Hoss insults me, I will think no less of any of you. Regardless of where Cynder came from, I know and trust her by her own merits. Any who trust me for what I have done are invited to step down from the Mountain Crackers and take a place at my side instead, right now."

"Laughable." Even as Hoss spoke, the trio he had suspected of treachery stepped forward, reaching Spyro's mates before stoically turning about, many other dragons fidgeting uncomfortably, each in deep thought. Hoss himself was stewing in agitation, control of the situation and even his own gang slipping away from him. He would have to find a way to make them understand the gravity of their mistake, a plan already forming in his mind.

"What is your name, book-bearer?"

Suddenly having Spyro's full attention, the brown dragon flicked his stumpy wings and thrashed his tail, trying not to look nervous. "I am Bash, Mage-Slayer."

"You seem an honorable soul, though you stand by the one I am soon to fight. I trust you to be the mediator in our dual, should he accept my offer. Will you do it?" Bash nodded, shuffling away to the side, the tome in his clutches. "You now have two options, Hoss. You can allow me to pay the price the book is worth and then give it to me, which will see you leaving here with the two thousand pieces worth of gems that I brought, or you can accept my challenge. You win the fight and I will give you the price you demanded, and you keep the tome, but if I win then you will give the Tome of Valenar to me without payment. The first of us to bleed loses, and Bash will count us in. So, take your pick, _Boss_."

Angered into foolhardiness and skeptical of the famed might of the much smaller dragon, Hoss didn't hesitate, his judgment further clouded by greed. "Count us in." Hoss planted his feet firmly, spreading his arms as rocks began to materialize over his scales to act as armor and armaments. Bash started to count down from three. Spyro gestured for Sparx to hover away and lowered himself to all fours, closely studying his larger opponent. He hadn't defeated armies of physically stronger enemies by rushing blindly into battle.

The count ended and Hoss spat a deluge of thick, sharp rocks from his maw, Spyro rapidly doing the same on impulse to protect himself from the blast. Too late, Spyro's mind registered that the trajectory of Hoss' blast was completely off, his counter-blast smashing against the conjured armor on Hoss' shoulder. There were yelps of pain and surprise, and Spyro looked over his shoulder to see his mates rushing to the aid of the life dragons near them, the smallest of whom was buried in rocks, Rock and Camo frantically pulling them off to see if their friend was alright. "I think one of us is bleeding, and it happens to be a dragon on your side. Bash, take his money. We'll collect the rest later."

"I said _single combat_!"

"You really need to word your challenges more carefully." Bash had yet to move from his neutral position, causing Hoss to growl in frustration. "Go to his mates and take the money already! Any of you!"

"Sir." Bash was trembling as he looked up at Hoss, but he managed to keep a quiver out of his voice. "Attack only your opponent from now on, or I will declare you the loser by default." Hoss leered down at his underling with an indignant snarl, reminding Spyro of the time Red had threatened The Professor, and he wouldn't let it go any further.

"Hey jackass!" When Hoss turned back toward Spyro, a flaming rock smashed into his snout, chipping away at his protective covering. "Annoyed that I'm turning your own gangsters against you?" Hoss spat more rocks, this time aiming for Spyro, who rolled to the side to avoid them. His ploy was already working. "Why don't you take out that frustration on me, huh?" Spyro was the youngest dragon at the meeting, though not quite the smallest, and it was clear that being taunted by the youngster was driving Hoss mad, regardless of Spyro's fierce reputation. Hoss' tail was fortified into a massive club of stone, and he spun it at his opponent. Spyro hopped over the swing, lifting his arms to block Hoss' following backhand, unfurling his wings to spin away with the momentum of the strike.

"Hold still, you uppity whelp!" Spyro twisted and turned in the air to avoid more earth blasts, waiting to see if Hoss had any other tricks as well as leading him further from the other dragons and Elora, his speed in the air forcing Hoss to take off to keep up. The dragons using the skatepark were accustomed to ignoring disputes of this nature, as it came with the territory, but they were gradually dropping their facades of disinterest, everyone watching the apparently one-sided battle unfold. They had all heard that Spyro was invincible, but here he was, fleeing from another dragon. "Is this the great Mage-Slayer!? Too busy flying away to fight; afraid to get any dirt on his perfect scales!" With all eyes on the two combatants, none of the onlookers realized that storm clouds were coalescing in the dark sky by magic, drawn by the spell Spyro was muttering under his breath, etching symbols into the air with his claws. Hoss, not slowed by the need to dodge, caught up with his quarry, reaching out with intent to grapple his opponent out of the air, and just as Spyro was satisfied with the distance between them and the onlookers.

Then, Spyro disappeared. "What..?" Hoss felt a foreign presence seeping into his armor from behind, another practitioner of earth magic, one with more power and better control, seamlessly drawing Hoss' own conjured stones to himself for a new purpose. They slid from their place as armor and coated Hoss' wings, making flight impossible and forcing him to the ground. When he landed with a dusty crash, Hoss managed to take control of the stones again, blasting them off his wings into the air around him, but Spyro had seen it coming and disdainfully backhanded a stone away. "Tricky little-" Hoss' voice caught in his throat as unbearable frigidity coated his wings, ice magic from Spyro's maw causing them to freeze in place, blistering with small clumps of ice shards. Hoss tried to turn, but vines burst from the ground, snaring his legs and stabbing venom-coated thorns between his scales. With his head craned back, he could see electricity sparking over Spyro's horns, and then Spyro dove straight down with conjured wind increasing his speed, smashing through Hoss' left wing, shattering the frozen membrane. While Hoss was still snarling in pain, Spyro charged around his front and jumped, destroying the remaining wing in the same fashion.

Hoss roared and ripped his wrists and ankles free of the vines, twisting around and barreling toward Spyro with reckless fury, ignoring the blood seeping from the cuts the thorns had caused. Bash wasn't close enough to see that, so Hoss could still achieve victory if he beat the purple whelp's skull in. Spyro stood with absolute calm before this charge, making small motions in the air with his claws. He formed the symbol for a thunderbolt three times, the storm clouds above roaring to life. The sheer concussive force of the first lightning strike bounced Hoss along the ground, the second slamming him down and ceasing his forward momentum, the last causing his body to jolt and convulse, the felled dragon coughing up speckles of bright blood.

Bash was shaking with fear and awe as he tentatively approached, seeing Spyro begin to levitate in the air, streams of elemental power spinning around each other and him in intricate patterns. An intense glow was building, as if Spyro was readying another attack, and Bash mustered the courage to stand between him and Hoss. "Wait! Hoss is already bleeding!" Spyro tilted his head curiously, surprised that the fight might end fairly after such a rocky start, but he dispelled his magic and fluttered to the ground all the same, Sparx returning to his side. Spyro noticed the dragonfly's glow was blue, and looked over to where High-Five had been excavated from the rocks, not a scale out of place.

"Thanks for shielding our new friend like that, buddy. Just don't over do it before you recover." Spyro held his claws out toward Bash, motioning the nervous mediator forward. "The Tome of Valenar, Bash."

"Idiots!" The earth under Bash shifted and a wind-blast bowled him over as Spyro used his elements to move him away before Hoss could charge right through him. "A massive payday turned into a total loss!" Spyro used stones to protect his arms when he blocked Hoss' savage strikes, but unlike his opponent he only conjured the stones at the last possible moment, so they never slowed down his movements. After blocking a dozen strikes, Spyro saw an opening, stabbing his open hand forward, fingers-first, collectively using his claws like a single dagger. The attack slipped perfectly between two of Hoss' chest-plates, then another attack further down, stabbing at the skin beneath the scutes. Hoss grew gradually more sluggish during the exchange, Spyro striking more often, until the momentum of the combat was completely reversed, Hoss' blood streaming down his body and staining the ground.

"Yield, Hoss! I don't want to kill you." It was far too late for reason to reach the enraged dragon, and he defiantly struck the ground with both of his fists, a shockwave of earth magic cracking the ground and spitting rocks in all directions. That Spyro easily avoided the attack to glide off toward one of the onlookers only enraged Hoss further.

"You'll pay for ruining my wings, whelp!"

"Doubt it!" There wasn't much that could distract Spyro in the middle of a fight, but an attractive young dragoness was one of those things, and he slowed to a stop in front of the most gorgeous earth dragoness he'd ever seen. Her coloring and organic crystals meant she was certainly of Dream Weaver descent, and she was away from the majority of the Mountain Crackers, apparently simply a patron of the skatepark itself. Spyro focused his power through his foot, a giant slab of stone fissuring the ground as it rose directly in Hoss' path, the larger dragon disoriented as he split the slab with his skull. "What's your name, beautiful?"

She hadn't expected to meet her obsession so closely before the snowboarding contest they were both in, only there to practice her skateboarding form, but she kept her composure and batted her lashes at him anyway. "Flashwing."

"Mind if I borrow this, Flashwing?" She felt her heart flutter in her chest when his grip closed on her elegant, ivory skateboard, releasing her hold instantly.

"Not at all, Spyro." He grinned at her flustered face, but left her dignity intact with a respectful nod, throwing the board forward and jumping after it when Hoss reoriented himself. Hoss smashed a hand against the steel of the coping, Spyro already racing toward the opposite half-pipe.

"Try to keep up, gramps!" The concrete cracked under Flashwing's board, Spyro veering to the left before straightening back out. "Hey! Watch the borrowed merchandise!"

"I'm gonna kill you!" Spyro rolled up the half-pipe and started spinning in the air, Hoss tumbling awkwardly down into the flat-bottom in his haste to catch up. "You mock me with tricks!?" Several spiked stones materialized in either horizontal direction from Hoss' face when he charged at Spyro, but the purple dragon just boarded straight toward his enraged adversary. Spat water from Spyro's maw made Hoss trip, sliding over the flat-bottom while Spyro leaned back to perform a wheelie. He used the stones over Hoss' head as a ramp, rolling over his opponent and twisting along the concrete afterward to halt himself. There was a fresh gash on Hoss back where Spyro's claws had dug in during his passing, and when Hoss shakily stood and turned around he was immediately knocked back down by a trio of flaming rocks.

"Are you going to yield while I'm still just screwing around?" Spyro asked, genuine frustration returning to his voice. He held Flashwing's skateboard in one hand the side of Hoss' face in the other, his thumb poised over an eye and electricity sparking dangerously on its tip. "Or should I really start beating your tail?"

Realizing that he was moments away from losing his eyes forever, Hoss was finally filled with enough fear to extinguish his anger, his voice croaking from exhaustion. "I yield! I yield! You can have the damned book, just let me go!"

"And you'll pay for the damage done to the skatepark?"

"The Mountain Crackers aren't permitted to give the Night Lotus more than our monthly payment." Spyro's thumb sparked again, and Hoss started panting and sputtering. "B-b-but I-I have a personal hoard! I-I'll p-pay for it myself! Yes!"

Spyro leaned down to whisper into Hoss' earhole, too quiet for the awestruck onlookers to hear, his voice dripping with barely contained hatred. "The next time you start a dual by attacking someone outside that dual, I will find out, hunt you down, and _castrate you_. Do you understand?" Boss Hoss, the cunning leader who extorted others to swell his wealth, who controlled several other dragons and the proud warriors of wayward dwarfs with ease, and who dared to accept a challenge from the Mage-Slayer, whimpered and trembled, nodding weakly beneath the gaze of the much smaller dragon. "Good." Spyro let him go, taking a step back. "Now get out of my sight."

While Hoss was busy scrambling away, Spyro flew back out of the pool, passing a stunned Flashwing her skateboard back. Bash tried to speak, but couldn't push any words past his lips, holding the book forward for Spyro to take as he passed. Sparx made a series of buzzing noises that almost sounded like laughter. Spyro waved his horns, and his mates, Rock, High-Five, and Camo followed him toward the nearest gateway back to the Dream Weaver's homeworld. "You all did an excellent job keeping your cool throughout these proceedings." Spyro said over his shoulder to the assembled dragons. "Consider yourselves invited to the celebration of my castle's completion, a fortnight from now. Check my Realmbridge events to RSVP!"

* * *

Hidden within an illusory statue of Bahamut, Lateef stroked his chin, considering the implications of all that he had observed that day. If the Tome of Valenar had reemerged, it was entirely possible that it might be used to bring ruin to the Dragon Realms once again, and Spyro still didn't know the full extent of what the spellbook could be used for. "Curious. What forces continue to draw you toward evil, Spyro?" Lateef knew not that there were other hidden observers, nor their intentions, but the eyes of the powerful followed Spyro as he left all the same.

End of Phase One


	11. Pampering

**Many thanks to my patrons, AbsoluteZero, Derik Harris, Cool534/Jcotton42, and my newest patron, Extormus, for supporting this project. As I reach certain thresholds of support it becomes easier for me to spend more time writing as opposed to other types of work, so I deeply appreciate all of your donations.**

 **One of my very vocal readers pointed out that we needed more one-on-one time between Spyro and Cynder, and it was a great chance for some important character and plot development too. Enjoy the start of Phase Two!**

Begin Phase Two

The procession of dragons, a faun, and a dragonfly was quiet for some time, everyone still trying to process what had just transpired. Spyro, at least externally, seemed perfectly calm, and chuckled to himself after some buzzing from Sparx. The others were in mild shock for several minutes, and had nothing to say the entire way to the portal that returned them to the Dream Weaver's home world. After they'd passed through it, the quiet was finally disturbed by the excited laughter of a giddy Camo, who did a little dance as he caught up to Spyro. "That was amazing!" He was beaming with admiration, Rock giving a solid nod in agreement and Ember giggling at them. "It could hardly be called a fight! He couldn't even touch you!"

"Yep. Not much to it against a dope like that. Terrador would have his work cut out for him whipping Hoss into shape."

"Forget about Hoss." High-Five cut in, hovering in front of the others and halting their progress. "Now that you've got it, tell me you're going to destroy that evil book."

"No." High-Five jolted back as he turned to the black-scaled dragoness who had rebuked his words. "We can't destroy the tome. It has far too much value, and historical significance."

"Oh please, Spyro has plenty of treasure! He doesn't need that old, tattered tome too."

"Fives, please, calm down." Spyro stepped between the two of them, motioning for High-Five to land and giving him a stern, but understanding look. "You asked me to lock the Tome of Valenar away, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Yeah? Well, it's been a few days since then, and I've changed my mind. Hoss may have been a controlling, manipulative ass-hat, but he never would have attacked me like that if he hadn't been reading that evil book for the last few days. He had no idea what he was even reading about and it still screwed with his head."

"Fives, by Bahamut's scruffy whiskers, will you please shut your loud mouth up until we aren't standing in an open field where adult Dream Weavers could stumble upon our heated debate at any second?" That quickly nullified the disgruntled life dragon, Spyro sighing tiredly. "If Hoss' mind is corrupted by this tome in some way then I can't be sure I intimidated him enough for the three of you to be safe in your own homes. I want you all to stay with me for a few weeks, just until Hoss has cooled off. Go get whatever personal belongings you'll need for your stay with me and meet me at my castle drawbridge in no more than three hours. Then, when we have privacy, we can address your concerns regarding the book."

Camo sighed wistfully, wondering how a single dragon could be so perfect. Immediately after a bloody battle, Spyro still had an air of calm and understanding about himself. Camo considered that, had High-Five been so explosive and confrontational toward someone Camo deeply loved, he wouldn't have responded with such grace and control as Spyro had. It took him a few minutes to realize what he'd just done, and he noticed Spyro giving him an odd look. A knowing look. A look that sent shivers down Camo's spine. Luckily for his dignity, Rock spoke before Camo could make a complete fool of himself. "We thank you for your thoughtful extension of hospitality, Mage-Slayer, and apologize for the misconduct of one of our number."

High-Five shook his head, stepping forward with a slight frown. "Rock seems to have forgotten that we aren't part of the same gang anymore. It's my mistake to apologize for, and I am sorry, Spyro." He turned to the dark dragoness next, bowing his head. "I'm sorry to you too, Cynder. I've been high-strung these last few days, and I snapped instead of hearing you out. I'll contain myself when we reconvene."

Cynder bowed back, smirking slightly. "Those of us who use dark magic to good ends are accustomed to being shouted down. I'm pleasantly surprised that you are comfortable admitting that you were wrong to do so."

"Okay, that's enough of that." Elora said to the lot of them, getting confused looks from the dragons. "All this practically political posturing, worrying, and arguing is not the kind of behavior I expect from a bunch of sneaky conspirators whose plan just worked. We should be celebrating! Spyro beat Hoss' tail into the ground, we have the thing we wanted to get, and you three are about to have an extended stay in Spyro's castle, which is perhaps the greatest castle ever built anywhere!" The formality that they'd been falling into was dissolved by Elora's enthusiasm, and for the moment they all put the Tome of Valenar out of their minds. They could worry later, after basking in collective success.

"And don't be late to arrive." Ember spoke with an inviting smile. "I'll be baking a variety of cookies for everyone, and they'll be best when they're fresh."

"Oh would you look at the time." High-Five spoke rapidly, glancing comically at his naked wrist. "Guess I better start packing right now okay bye!" Spyro often bragged on Realmbridge about the culinary talents Ember possessed. At the notion that she would be cooking for them, the three former Mountain Crackers were quick to scramble off toward their homes, shouting hasty farewells over their shoulders. Ember waved serenely at them, quite pleased with herself.

"Now that they're gone, let's get you home, hero." Ember's protective tone made Spyro chuckle happily, reminding him of when she'd taken charge of his bathing habits. He had to admit that he much preferred having properly buffed scales.

However, when he turned to continue on his way he was surprised to see Cynder extremely close to his side, laying a wing over his protectively. Just beside Cynder was Elora, who studied Spyro closely as they walked, Ember nuzzling his shoulder on his other side. "Uh, not that I mind the contact, but what's with all the… whatever this is?"

"Oh hush, hero boy." Cynder said. "We're just taking care of you, is all."

"When that adrenaline runs its course, you'll be pretty sore after that crazy fight." Elora added with concern.

"Let us handle our guests while you rest, okay?" Ember offered, the other two humming in agreement, smothering Spyro with affection as they walked.

"But I feel fine." Cynder shushed him and kept walking, offering no room for debate, and his other girls were obviously in full agreement with her. It was absolutely adorable, and by the time they were seated in the flying machine of The Professor's design to get back to the Artisan Worlds, Spyro was finally realizing they were completely correct. Certainly he'd been through much worse, but it was nice to have lovers cuddling him, concerned about his condition, and he was rather sore. "Okay, you win. I won't even drive this thing right now. Happy?"

"Very." Cynder replied, nuzzling his face while Ember massaged his thighs and Elora took the pilot seat.

"Next stop: your bed. You're going to get some rest while we welcome the guests."

* * *

"I can't believe we're going to be staying in Spyro's castle!" Camo strutted along as if he were weightless, which was quite impressive considering he was hauling a cheap cart alongside Rock, High-Five hovering behind it to make sure their hastily backed belongings didn't fall out. "My parents don't usually give a damn what I'm up to, but they sure were shocked when I told them that!"

"Dragon parents don't care about anything, Camo." Rock said back, a disgruntled expression on his face. "They're much too old by the time they can produce eggs. I dread the day I inevitably become like them."

"Nah. We'll be young forever! Now haul faster, slow-pokes. We don't wanna be late."

"Well well, look who it is." Two more zeros swooped down to speak to the trio of earth dragons, one of them Sunburn, a fire dragon orphan whose egg had been coated in phoenix ashes by fairies, and another orphan named Zap who had been raised by monstrous eels off the coast of Dragon Shores. Both had been fierce gangsters in the past, but political games between the gang leaders had driven them from that life, much like the circumstances that saw the trio of life dragons leaving the Mountain Crackers. "Looks like some Mountain Crackers are moving out of their parents' nests."

"If you're finally gonna live with your gang, you're headed in the wrong direction."

"We aren't going to live with our gang because we no longer have one." Rock replied stoically, pushing forward and forcing Camo to pick his pace back up.

Zap fiddled with the controls for his electricity pack, which he used to augment the attacks of his water element, keeping his hands busy while he mulled over what Rock had said. "Finally decided to become free agents like us, then?"

Camo grinned smugly, a glint in his eyes. "We helped Spyro, and now he's going to help us. If you want to know more then you'll have to follow us and ask him yourself." Sunburn and Zap glanced at each other, both confused and intrigued, and when the others continued on their way, they had two other untethered zeroes following them.

When the five of them reached their destination they were once again struck by the sheer majesty of the walls and extensive defenses, letting themselves be invited in by Spyro's mates. They explained that they had practically shoved Spyro into bed early, taking minimal instructions from him on how to handle the housing arrangements. Spyro had indeed planned to house several other dragons at any given time, and his forethought meant there were enough guest rooms for all five of his visitors and then some. Sunburn and Zap were told they could stay overnight before Spyro spoke with them, and if he permitted them to stay for training then they would have to collect their personal effects the next morning, whilst the former Mountain Crackers were already settling in. They didn't know what it would be, but Spyro had mentioned that his training would have a condition attached to it, and Cynder was particularly amused by the fact that all of them would have to wait until morning to learn of that condition.

Ember's cookies were a sure hit, and Sunburn and Zap expressed a mutual interest in mixing drinks while the conversation was on Ember's skills in the kitchen. This lead to a discussion of fruits, and Camo spoke at length about agriculture, whilst High-Five and Cynder had distracted themselves with head-to-head Wiz Brawl matches. Elora was demonstrating her pan flute to Rock, the delicate instrument looking comically small between his thick fingers when he tried playing it. A sense of camaraderie was growing between them. They felt as though they belonged together, but there was also a sense of emptiness, as if there were others who were destined to be there who had yet to arrive.

Dragons had a sense for destiny, inclinations that didn't make sense to other species. In spite of their usual desire for independence and segregation, there were many historical periods when they came together in great hordes, and it was almost always a prelude to something unsavory, something that would scar all the realms for millenia. Spyro could feel it too, tossing and turning in his bed. His entire life felt like the prelude to a great war.

At least this time, Spyro wouldn't fight alone.

* * *

"We must consider a peaceful solution to the coming conflict, Thomas." Red pleaded to the teleportation expert, Lateef and Cho Lei sitting cross-legged at the edge of the hidden cavern, one of several dozen used for secret meetings between council members. The golden dragoness was the only female on the Elder Council, and Lateef was quite glad that she had been the nearest member for him to inform, regardless of the fact that Thomas and Red were also present. "Granted, The Sorcerer cannot be talked down, but an appeal to his Goddess directly could shift Her favor to our side."

"That notion is more deluded than your joining with The Sorcerer in the first place!" Thomas was not calm, though he was trying to be. The news Lateef brought was distressing, and Red's response to it threatened to undo generations of religious progress. "Her cult has caused enough harm, and its falling apart marked the end of draconic civil war and unrest. You were the last of Her priests, Red. The assimilation of different dragon breeds, the unity we have found under Bahamut's teachings of benevolence, and the power we hold over others as benefactors has proven who Io's greatest child is."

"I still am Her priest!" Red yelled back, forcing his anger down with a firm gulp, steam emanating from his nostrils. "I don't want to recapture the past. It was filled with conflict and death. However, our current position of dominance is exactly what Tiamat always wanted. You would settle for unity in the mortal plane, when we stand on the brink of unity in the heavens we came from."

"Ridiculous. She has grown mad in Her isolation. It will never work. The Sorcerer is the only mortal She listens to now."

"Spyro could do it, I know he can! Let me teach him about Her. I can equip him with the knowledge to persuade Her, if only you will allow the extension of a peace offering. Reinstate Her tithe. Letting the growth of Her hoard at our claws give Spyro Her attention." Thomas seemed to seriously consider that suggestion, a peace settling in the cavern as tempers simmered down.

"That might work on some level, though we cannot reinstate the tithe amongst the general public. Our culture no longer relies on the divine. Io's death is treated as a joke while his name is uttered as a curse, and even Bahamut's priests number in less than a dozen, most of whom being council members. Our people worship themselves now, praying to their ancestors and historical figures, whilst younger races pray directly to us. The council itself will pay the tithe, and we will have to hope that it, along with our prayers, is enough to ease Tiamat's rage."

"It will not work." Cho Lei spoke calmly, Lateef nodding at her words.

"She is right. The connection has been severed by the ravages of time. We continue to call that untouched pile of riches the hoard of Tiamat, but lack of open worship has weakened our connection to Her domain. It is most likely that She will not feel any offering given, and if She did She would consider it an insult after so long. Unheeded goes Her demand for tribute while Her power is diminished, and only when you fear Her potential return do you offer Her anything, as if pathetically begging for mercy? She would despise us. It is best to meet Tiamat on the terms we have already set, assuming She still exists."

Cho Lei nodded as well, taking over with her own input. "It is doubtful that Tiamat has the strength to physically manifest again. The last sighting of Bahamut and His divine children was long ago, and His Sister has been absent for much longer."

"So what?" Red asked, shaking his head. "You declare that our best option is to not even try. Has that truly become the norm for the Council of Dragon Elders? Do we now stand aside and do nothing during every crisis?"

"No. We act through another." Thomas grinned for a moment, thinking of Spyro, but quickly his expression grew worried again, and he turned toward Cho Lei with an appraising gaze. "It is obvious to me that Spyro has begun to emulate the behaviors of the dragons of old, striving out on his own, claiming all that he can, never backing down from a challenge, and amassing a harem of those who admire and love him. In his time of growing sexual interest, he has grown contrarian to paternal figures, something instinctive within him seeing us as rivals, and particularly feeble ones at that. But you, Cho Lei, you could approach him with a feminine touch. Fae males are reclusive, and their species courted Spyro's favor entirely with females. So too must we employ that strategy."

Cho Lei tilted her head, smirking slightly. "You want me to seduce him?"

"Not as such, no." Thomas replied to her jest, beginning to pace in thought. "You see how the fairies interact with him. It isn't pure seduction, just a softness that comes naturally to females. The brush of delicate fingers on his cheek, and the occasional kiss to his snout. The Fae are too small to mate with him properly, but their actions aren't those of a temptress. They just comfort him. He enjoys their company on a level deep enough to undermine his accumulated paranoia. His early relationship with Cynder may be a contributing factor."

"So," Cho Lei began, her voice icy with disdain. "Allow me to parse your spiel, Thomas. You mean to say that the _orphan_ wishes he had a _mother_ , and it is your plan to have me take advantage of that weakness?" Thomas recoiled as if stung, but Cho Lei merely narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him. Red could tell from her expression that she didn't believe Thomas' feelings were genuine.

Caught in the midst of this exchange was Lateef. In spite of his many thousands of years of wisdom and experience, the other three dragons were the greatest of wyrms, over ten thousand years Lateef's seniors. If they were playing some game of deception and falsehoods to manipulate one another, then it was far beyond what Lateef could understand, their plans elaborate and well obfuscated.

Cho Lei continued after a long span of silence, a confident smile on her face. "I think you worry too much, Thomas. I believe that if The Sorcerer returns, he will not have Tiamat's full strength behind him, and any portion of Her power that remains will stand no chance in the face of Spyro's ingenuity. The Sorcerer will die to the Mage-Slayer, and his power will grow. One day, perhaps very soon, Spyro will take the place of the Council, and all of dragonkind will once again serve a single King."

"You believe a zero is wiser than all of us?" Red asked, curiosity overtaking disbelief in his tone.

"No, but he does have a stronger will. United under one worthy dragon, we would return to our former glory, able to make quick decisions as a species with a single voice to speak above all others. It is what Tiamat would want, though She would seek to be the one to rule Herself."

"So," Thomas replied, narrowing his eyes. "You wish to undermine the very Council in which you sit?"

"I did not say that. I may very well be dead long before Spyro seeks to take power, but I do know it will happen one day. Regardless of that, you cannot fight him now, because doing so would complicate his battle with The Sorcerer. The ego of that dragon is so massive that he would kill us all just to be the only dragon left alive." Cho Lei lowered her legs to the ground and lifted her tail, Lateef doing the same and following her toward the cavern's exit, the golden dragoness speaking over her shoulder to the other Elders. "I will give Spyro council, as you suggested, Thomas. If I find any evidence that you have sought to sabotage him, I will hunt you down and kill you."

"I have only ever supported Spyro." Thomas growled, his grip on his staff tightening. "And if you hunted me down, it is you who would die." Thomas cut the air with his claws and vanished to places unknown, Cho Lei snorting disdainfully as she strode out past the masking illusion over the cavern, Lateef nervously following her out. They left Red to his own thoughts, the dark sorcerer falling on his rump and sighing in exhaustion.

"Idiots." He said to himself, shaking his head. "Even the fragile facade of a united front is soon to dissolve completely." Red examined his staff, gazing at his many reflections in the gemstone at its apex, a replacement for the dark gems he was no longer permitted to access. He contemplated that even the council didn't know who Spyro's true parents were, as no trace of them had ever been found. Whomever could discover that secret would have a vicious edge over Spyro and the other Elders, and could manipulate events to position themselves as the new sole ruler of dragon kind within the next century. Red personally was tired of power games, and wanted deeply to help his friend; to find the truth and expose it before it could be used as a weapon. His mind lingered on something The Sorcerer used to say, that he alone was a 'True Dragon,' that all the others, Red included, were lesser creatures in some way. "Maybe he was right about us."

* * *

Everyone knew that the Night Lotus Skatepark was a carefully maintained dead zone for phones and Internet access, so word would have to spread of what happened the old-fashioned way, and it was easy to keep the gang activity there hidden from the apathetic Peacekeepers. Of course, that didn't stop Slither from knowing exactly what was happening immediately. Afterall, Cynder told her everything the moment they left the dead zone. Now that Cynder had access to the tome, it was time for the next phase of the plan.

That Slither would be saving countless children from a beast that stalked in the night as part of her ascent to power would make it all the easier. Her seemingly pure intentions would keep Cynder and Blackout on her side, and she suspected that even Spyro would willingly help her when the time came. Regardless of all of that, it was her birthright to rise with the power laced in that spellbook, a book written by her ancestor.

"It won't be much longer now, my Goddess." Slither prayed alone, sitting in front of her innate scrying pool. "Soon, you shall be free."

* * *

Spyro had drifted to the embrace of sleep swiftly after laying down, his exhaustion from his fight undeniable. Unfortunately, his nightmares returned in full force, and he was turning fitfully while his girls entertained his guests. He could feel deep in his bones that there was trouble encroaching from the future, some scheme bringing him ever closer to conflict, and the visceral battles of his past nipped at his psyche when he tried to retreat to memory. Whether he saw visions, memories, paranoid delusions, or legitimate and concerning predictions, each filled him with dread. He was thrown back to his last conversation with Gnorman, when he had been preoccupied with similarly bleak thoughts while still conscious. Gnorman was a kind gnorc on the surface, but a savvy business man first. He always seemed to know just what to say get the funding the park needed, and he was capable of making rapid calculations in his mind. Spyro pictured all of this about his friend in an instant, and then saw a shadow fiend dozing in Gnorman's eviscerated chest cavity, blood-soaked chitinous plates shifting with unnatural breaths.

"Cynder..." Spyro muttered angrily in his sleep. He knew she was hiding something, but he didn't want to press for it. He couldn't bare the thought that he couldn't trust her, Hoss' accusations echoing in Spyro's mind. "...A pretty spy..." he had said.

In truth, Cynder was a gentle lover, and the warmth of Spyro's mates slipping into bed with him later in the evening calmed his tumultuous sub-conscious. When Spyro finally awoke, he found that only Cynder was beside him, and he nuzzled the top of her head affectionately. Her eyes instantly shot open as if she had been awake for some time, resting beside him while she waited for him to awaken. "Good morning, sleepy boy." As much as Cynder enjoyed her fierce reputation, she had begun to show a softer side in private, especially when she and Spyro were alone together. While Elora was elated to submit to Cynder's dominant sexual energy, and Ember enjoyed playing with and challenging it, Spyro could enjoy quite a bit of pampering from the privately loving dragoness, so long as the others wouldn't be able to tease her for it later. "Don't worry. You haven't slept in. Ember only just started on breakfast a few minutes ago. Elora is giving everyone the tour, so you can just relax today."

"That's good to hear. So, did you stay behind to update me or were you just feeling a little lazy too?" Cynder mostly ignored his weak attempt to tease her, pressing her snout to his and smiling adorably.

Cynder watched Spyro's expression light up with happiness, a haze of pink light showing at the base of his horns for a moment. It still amazed Cynder whenever she saw something like that, the proof of what Spyro had told them about his relationship with fairies. He spent so much time being enhanced by their magical blessings, that strong emotions could awaken latent power from previous enchantments. Regardless, Cynder shook her head slightly at his words. "No. I stayed behind to take care of you. We couldn't let you go all morning without any love." She tactfully didn't mention that he had been so fitful in his sleep that she would have felt terrible if he was left with no one to hold for the remainder of his slumber. She needed him to be okay.

"You don't mind being fucked so hard you can't walk before you can even get outta bed?" He asked, smirking confidently.

Cynder giggled at him, shaking her head more vigorously than before, gently pushing his chest with delicate fingers until he was laying on his back, his head nestled back into his pillow. "While I wouldn't dare object to such a wonderful experience, as it's something no other dragon has managed to do for me, I'd like to do the heavy lifting this time. You deserve a break."

"I don't need a-"

"Hush." Spyro did hush, still smiling. He sighed in contentment and closed his eyes, allowing her to do as she pleased. Trusting her. Cynder cherished that trust, beginning to massage the firm scutes of his chest. She straddled him, then lifted her hips to stand above him, so she could press more of her weight down on him. Her hands pressed firmly enough into his broad chest to knead at the muscles there, even past his thick plates. In spite of her slender frame, Cynder was quite strong, and her technique was practiced. As she worked her way to his sides, her hands spreading further apart, she applied more delicate pressure, especially when she passed his scutes to massage against his smaller scales. Her touch was feminine, caring, but firm, bringing relief to his sore muscles.

She moved on to his left arm, her tail swishing forward to wrap sinuously around his wrist, stretching his limb while her hands tended to his bicep. While she worked her way down that first arm, she began to speak. "You put more faith in me than I deserved, Spyro. I want to be worthy of your lofty opinion of me, so I'm going to tell you something important." Spyro opened his eyes and gazed up at her to let her know she had his full attention, but her soft tone of voice and skillful hands kept him drowsy with pleasure. "I not only wish to learn a spell from the Tome of Mistress Valenar, which you already discouraged. I also want to pass that knowledge to Slither. I'm going to give you the trust you've given me, and let you make the decision with me."

That information was enough to surprise the drowsy dragon, but after a moment of contemplation he realized he already knew she'd been conflicted about something, hiding some motive from him, and after her little declaration he could see tension leave her body in the next exhale. She kissed his hand and wetly suckled his fingers, tending to him amidst their rather important conversation. She still wanted to take care of him, no matter his answers, and she moved on to his right arm before speaking again. "We have a good reason. There is a shadow beast of some kind killing and eating hatchlings in the fringe villages connected to the Peacekeeper world. It uses shadow teleportation, an ancient technique that is forbidden by the Peacekeepers and Elder Council. If we could just learn how to cast it, Slither and Blackout could trace the beast after its next attack, ambushing it at its lair, and discovering if there are more of them."

Cynder was trembling by then, Spyro softly placing his hand on her cheek. "Please, Spyro. We have to stop it."

Spyro shook his head, but he was still smiling. "No way am I'm going to sit here and do nothing while hatchlings are being killed. We aren't going to teach Slither a spell; we're going to learn it and use it ourselves. We'll help her directly. I've got a lot of experience fighting shadow beasts." Cynder shuddered in relief, but before she could shut her eyes Spyro gripped her jaw, looking her directly in the eyes. "Remember what High-Five said about the book. We can't just read from it now. I'll have the Professor study it first, so he can find a way to filter the corruptive effect out. If he can't manage that, then we'll have to find another way to track the beast down."

"I understand, Spyro. As much as it pains me to wait, it wouldn't be a pretty sight if some ancient enchantment from a sadistic sorceress superseded our morals." Spyro nodded and let go of her, satisfied that she wouldn't allow dear departed Valenar to twist her mind from beyond the grave. "I should have told you right away."

Spyro hummed to himself, Cynder looking away with embarrassment. "You could have gone to read the tome in the time you've spent making my morning so pleasant. When the time came and the opportunity presented itself, you chose not to do it. Maybe you thought that you had to betray me, and for the right reasons, but your heart was never in it. I knew you had to be hiding something, but I _felt_ that I could trust you anyway, and I was right." He stroked the other side of her face, gently urging her to look down at him again, his expression as bright and joyful as ever. "Don't even apologize, babe. I forgave you a long time ago."

"Why do you have to be so perceptive?" He chuckled at her words and the tone that came with them, his dark-scaled mate soothed by his kindness and patient understanding. "You really are a great dragon, Spyro." Cynder smiled and turned around, laying her tail over Spyro's snout playfully as she began to massage his hips. "I'm not sure how you managed to do it so quickly, but I'm not complaining." Her new position let her get an eyeful of the cock she adored so much, drinking in every familiar detail as it throbbed to life outside of Spyro's sheath. Apparently her touch aroused his libido as much as it calmed his nerves. She worked his thighs and shins first, taking on one at a time as with his arms, her round chest pressed against his tip constantly when she worked her way down.

Spyro's toes curled and a needy growl escaped him as he stared at the tail right on his face, and the enticing sight of Cynder's winking pussy beyond it. "You've certainly got a way with those hands of yours."

"Enjoying the massage, hero boy?" He growled again and placed his own hands on her ass, squeezing her cheeks and making her gasp in surprise. She wasn't surprised for long though, laughing smugly, and slowly, sensually swaying her hips in Spyro's face. "Want to touch back?" Cynder asked cheekily, leaning down to grip his feet with her hands, her claws gently teasing him.

"Lower your hips for me, Cynder." It was a simple command, stated with affection, and she obeyed with a pleasant hum. His fingers started to surge with slight electricity, a much weaker current than she was used to, teasing rather than shocking. When she lifted her tail and lowered her fragrant sex over his face, he began to lick her slowly, listening to her huff and groan while she gripped his feet tighter. When her voice lightened to pleased moans he moved to suckle at her clit, listening to her gasp and pant as she tried to adjust to the more intense sensation. She was whining and cooing at him then, grinding her sex onto his snout with gyrating hips, making the barbs of his cock throb against her chest. Her taste made Spyro moan into her, his eyes rolling back as ecstasy surged through his body, her massage having driven the tension from his muscles.

"I love you, Spyro." Her voice was soft, thankful, and devoted, her veneer of bravado and aloof dominance falling away completely. She could trust him with her inner worries, and the relief of that intimacy made her feel lighter than air. She slithered back until her hands were back at his inner thighs, lifting her chest and lowering her hips, pressing her needy sex over Spyro's face. His groping hands ceased exploring her ass long enough to grip her more firmly and pull down, encouraging her to be rougher with him, pressing his tongue deep inside of her. While she indulged that notion, humping down over his face, he slipped his thumb between his maw and her sex, letting it grow wet with her delicious feminine juices and his saliva.

Cynder predicted what he would do next, and quickly shifted her legs for a firmer stance. When his thumb was shoved into her vent, warm with magic and parting her sphincter, she hissed in pleasure and closed her eyes, her claws digging at the scales on his thighs. After a few more seconds of enjoying his attention with an expression of deep bliss, Cynder flicked her long tail around and wrapped around the base of Spyro's neglected dick, the impressive pillar of firm maleness dripping with a strand of pre-cum and a glob of drool that Cynder had embarrassingly failed to notice fall from her panting maw. His musk was already driving her wild, but she lowered her face to take a deep sniff of him with her snout against his tip, letting his scent invade her sinuses. It was familiar and satisfying to have his smell seeping into her, so that she felt him with every breath.

Cynder continued humping into his face, drenching him in the fluids of her cunny, and licking her fingers as she did. Then, with her tail still coiled around his base and shifting against him, she delicately began to fondle his balls with her left hand, the other lowered to his vent, two of her finger prodding at him until she managed to push them inside. He gasped into her sex, which then squeezed his tongue tightly, Cynder's humping getting faster. He curled his thumb within her ass while she started exploring his, teasing the tip of his cock with wet licking as she did. His tail was swaying from the gentle treatment, and Cynder abandoned her notions of restraint, diving her face down and taking his cock into her wet maw. As his firm shape pressed over her tongue and stretched her jaw in all the right ways, she desperately sucked on his dick, taking in the flavor of his virility, keeping her soft lips tight around his flesh.

Spyro had started on her first, and his taste helped him push her over the edge, her euphoric moans muffled by his cock whilst she ground herself over him, shifting her hips to rub every inch of herself that she could against his snout, his tongue lapping deep within her while he swallowed delicious juices. She was too far down over his face for him to contain the outpouring of her love, much of it dripping down his snout or squirting straight for his eyes, forcing him to close them as her essence settled over his face and dominated his senses. Cynder let him pop out of her mouth and sighed in relief, gradually lifting herself as her orgasm finished. She shook her hips rapidly above him, to ensure that as much of her wet release as possible dripped onto his face.

Spyro released her rump to wipe her juices off his eyelids, suckling it from his fingers afterwards. Cynder pulled her fingers from him and released his sex, turning around again and letting her dripping snatch be poised over his throbbing prick. "That felt amazing, but now it's my turn to make you feel good."

"Your massage already managed that." Spyro replied, laying his arms out lazily to his sides as he grinned up at her, smelling her lingering scent in every breath. "You did say you wanted to do the heavy lifting, though. Let me take your ass, and finger yourself while you do it." Perhaps Cynder would have put up a front of resistance if someone else was there to witness her behavior, but Ember had been right about Cynder: she really did love to surrender to Spyro. With no one else to see her obedient display, she nodded eagerly to his words.

"Whatever you want, Spyro." Cynder shifted her hips further forward and gradually started to lower herself, letting her drool on his tip lubricate their initial contact. She maneuvered her hands behind herself and spread her ass as much as she could before forcing her hips down, letting his tip stab past her sphincter. "Nnnyaaa~!" She grit her teeth and closed her eyes as he invaded her ass, needing to pace herself if she was going to willingly take all of his immense maleness. The teasing of his thumb had helped to loosen her up a little, but his dick was just so thick that it was jarring every time he entered her smaller hole, no matter how often she let him do it. "Haaa..." She panted, reopening her eyes to see Spyro grinning brightly at her, his wings shivering. He was clearly enjoying watching her struggle to take him, and she smiled back at him. "I'll finish you yet, big boy. J-just wait."

"Don't forget to play with yourself, babe." Cynder whined at the thought, but slipped her hands back over her thighs anyway, slowly lowering them toward her still sensitive snatch.

"Oooo~! Aaaaahhnnn..." Spyro chuckled silently at how loud Cynder was being, watching her completely lose herself to the moment, several of her fingers sliding gracefully into her pussy as she used both hands to pleasure herself, her thumbs pinching her clit between them. She began to force herself lower, feeling his girth painfully spread her vent open further, while his tip sunk deeper and deeper into her asshole, her cunt leaking all over her hands and thighs. The pain was exhilarating, sexual, and intimate, enhancing the pleasure she felt. Every pathetic little stutter or whine she gave made Spyro's cock twitch inside her, as he reveled on the stark effect he could have on her without even trying. "Oh f-fuuuuck..."

"Nngh..." Cynder had to stop at several points to gyrate her hips so she could stir her insides with his cock head and prepare her body to take more of him into her ass, always fingering herself particularly roughly when she did. "Fuck me, your ass is so tight, Cynder." His words made Cynder moan, pleasure surging through her veins as she heard the euphoria in his voice, and she shoved herself further down for him. She swallowed her grunt of discomfort, so she could listen to him groan, his hands clenching into fists and his eyes rolling back into his head. "You feel so good. By Bahamut's whiskers, your ass is incredible." Cynder felt joy numb her body, her impressively large wings fanning out and fluttering erratically. "I love you so much, Cynder."

Cynder fell, grunting cutely as she made it all the way down, settling her ass on his groin while she kept playing with herself, her tight hole squeezing him for all she was worth, all of her focus on him and their joined bodies. As difficult as it was to adjust to Spyro each time he used her ass, Cynder was experienced and determined, and once she adjusted there was no stopping her. She lifted herself up, whining all the way, and then dropped herself back down, yelping girlishly as he spread her again. Her wings flapped, and she repeated the motion, taking it with more ease, then again, then more elegantly, the pitch of her moans gradually lowering, until her voice was husky with desire and arousal. Her expression leveled into one of pure bliss, her tongue lolling out of her panting maw. The slick sounds of his dick slamming into her ass and her fingers rapidly sliding in and out of her pussy filled the room, and Spyro had to fight the urge to cum then and there.

Spyro held himself back as Cynder serviced his cock, wanting to give her as much time to enjoy herself as possible. Even though he wasn't used to being so passive during sex, he had to admit that he was really enjoying taking it easy, and watching her work so hard for him made his heart flutter in his chest. Her shapely, strong thighs kept her ass bouncing over him at a brisk pace, and there was a deep satisfaction in her every moan, as if she knew that she was doing an outstanding job for him. He realized that this must be what his girls felt like when his sexual prowess left them speechless, the emotion of witnessing so much effort being put into the act of lovemaking left his mind in a pleasant haze. "You're amazing, Cynder."

"Oh no, you're amazing, Spyro." She replied, her voice dripping with devotion and arousal, every inch of his magnificent cock slamming into her and reminding her just how lucky she was to be with such a great dragon.

However, when Spyro lovingly squeezed her thighs and spoke back, his voice was firm and confident. "So are you, Cynder." She shuddered, nodding her assent. "Now do one last thing for me," he whispered, "and cum."

"Yes, Daddy!" Without giving Spyro time to be shocked by her words, Cynder roughly mashed her clit with her thumbs, curled her claws against her pussy walls, and hilted Spyro's entire length into her ass with a firm hump, squirting her juices all over his belly.

Spyro grit his teeth as Cynder's ass gripped him tightly during her climax, finally letting the pleasure of being surrounded by her soft flesh push him to his own release. "That's my good girl..." He muttered, coating her bowels in his thick, hot seed. She stayed all the way down whilst he came, taking all he had to offer as deeply as she could, his cum sealed within her by the tight grip her asshole had on his dick. After several seconds of sitting on his throbbing cock, Cynder felt his streams of seed come to an end, and gradually began to lift herself from him. "Want me to seal it in there?" He asked just as his cock popped free.

"Yes." Cynder replied eagerly, stepping forward so Spyro could easily slip his hand between her ass cheeks, his magic creating a sizable butt-plug of smooth stone, just large enough for her recently fucked asshole to close around, sealing his load inside her. She stepped back again until his crotch was below her snout, lowering her face to clean off his balls and cock, slurping up every bit of cum that had escaped her ass.

"Roll over." Her command was as simple as any of his, and he obeyed, just as she did for him. She showed her resolve by getting right back to the massage, working the kinks from his neck, shoulders, back, and wing-joints. After she finished with the base of his tail, she lifted it out of her way, lowering her face to his vent. She started to rim his asshole with her twirling tongue, kneading his firm butt with her delicate fingers while she did. He let what she'd called him slide, finding he actually quite enjoyed it, and he understood better than most why she wanted to say it. To his surprise, she actually pulled back a little to ask something. "Permission to eat your ass for several minutes, Mage-Slayer?"

"It's part of the massage, isn't it? I wouldn't stop you from finishing it." She hummed sensually and pressed her face back under his tail, pressing her tongue to him again and carefully working it in past his sphincter, kissing and suckling at his asshole while her tongue pushed deeper in. "Oh fuck yeah. Just keep doing that until I'm ready to get out of bed." She moaned gratefully into his ass, adoring his taste, losing herself in him. After letting him claim her ass again with his cock and seed, there was something magical about letting his ass dominate her senses, and his every little shudder of enjoyment sent a tingle down her spine.

A lot of what they'd shared in that moment had gone unspoken, but both of them understood the other very clearly. No matter what might come, or what Slither would think of their plan to aid her, the two orphans needed each other. Nothing would ever change that.


End file.
